ATP Tour

Cobolli goes from eviction to Wimbledon QF vs. Djokovic

Moving house can be stressful at the best of times.

For Flavio Cobolli, a forced change of accommodation unexpectedly disrupted his fortnight at Wimbledon, but the Italian remains alive at the grass major after he overcame Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3) to reach his first major quarter-final.

"Now I'm really emotional because this is a day that I never forget, for sure," said Cobolli in his post-match press conference. "I played a really good match today. I'm very proud of myself, about my attitude on the court. I think I believe since the first point of the match to win today. I am really, really happy."

admin really went and said let me cook… 🧑‍🍳

welcome to your first Grand Slam quarter-final Flavio… ❤️

He advances with a 6-4 6-4 6-7 7-6(3)win over Cilic…@wimbledon | #Wimbledon | @cobollifla pic.twitter.com/G4rRaOMhTA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 7, 2025

Unable to stay longer at the house he rented for the start of the grass-court major, Cobolli had been on the hunt for new digs, ideally not too far from the All England Club, ahead of his third-round clash with Jakub Mensik.

“[I had] to move house. The lady didn't renew our contract,” Cobolli, who had also struggled to sleep in his original accommodation as a heatwave hit London, told Eurosport in Italian before his Saturday meeting with Mensik. “We didn't complain... We didn't have anything to deal with the heat, but I spoke to many players, and the situation is the same for everyone.

“It wasn't a problem with the house, but when you find yourself unable to sleep like I did, you always try to find a solution. But now she's kicked us out and we hope to find a house. The hotels, they're far away here. I went to dinner in Chelsea, it took me an hour and twenty minutes. A hotel is the last resort."

Cobolli’s house-search was ultimately successful, and the change of base has done nothing to halt his winning charge at SW19. After defeating Mensik in straight sets, the 23-year-old on Monday overcame Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3) to set a last-eight meeting with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

“I had some problems with my first house, but now I found a great solution,” Cobolli told ATPTour.com after defeating Cilic. “I slept well. I have a great relationship with the guy that I rent the apartment. Now I'm in good shape.”

Competing at a career-high No. 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Cobolli has enjoyed a personal-best season in 2025. He lifted his first two ATP Tour trophies in Bucharest and Hamburg, respectively, and he is up five spots to No. 19 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Wimbledon run so far.

The scenes after Cobolli completed his victory against Cilic, during which the Italian converted three of eight points he earned against the big-serving Croatian, were emotional. Cobolli’s father and coach, Stefano Cobolli, shed tears in the stands on No. 2 Court.

“It is something that I dreamt of since when I was young, since when I started to play tennis,” reflected Cobolli in his post-match press conference. “Everyone in my family, on my team, told me every day that I was born to play matches like this because they saw me really cold, electric on the court. They always told me that I live for this kind of match.

“I think it is true because I really love to play against a big player, against a legend of our sport. I like to play on this kind of stage, this kind of tournament. I really love to play here in Wimbledon. I love to play on grass.”