Flavio Cobolli Believes He Deserved a Fifth Set After His Loss to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon

Flavio Cobolli failed to reach the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championship after losing to Novak Djokovic on Wednesday (July 9) at the Center Court. However, the Italian star made a name for himself by reaching the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event for the first time in his career at the All England Club.

Cobolli arrived at Wimbledon without much experience playing on a grass court on tour. In fact, his best run on the surface was at the 2025 Terra Wortmann Open, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Alexander Zverev. But at Wimbledon, he stunned Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik in the third round and then beat former finalist Marin Cilic in four sets.

He opened his quarter-finals clash against Djokovic by showing great athleticism and depth of shot throughout the first set. He came from 3-5 down against the Serbian legend and forced the set to a tiebreak before eventually winning the set. However, Djokovic used all his experience against the 23-year-old and rallied back into the match immediately.

Cobolli then found himself leading 5-4 in the third but couldn’t break Djokovic, which led the 38-year-old to win two more points and claim the set 7-5. In the third set, the Italian started well and at one time led 2-1, but was unable to maintain the lead as Djokovic won four of the next five points before tumbling on the court after slipping.

But Djokovic then went on to win the Hamburg champion 6(6)-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in three hours and 11 minutes. After the match, Cobolli revealed that he was proud of his fearless performance against Djokovic. He then added that with his display he deserved a fifth set in the match:

I think I played very well. I’m very proud of my attitude. It wasn’t easy to step on Centre Court for the first time. The first set was probably the best set of my life. I did a great job to get to this point. I left everything on the court. I’m happy with my tournament and the level of my play. I’m a little sad because I think I deserved a fifth set, but overall it was a very positive tournament.

Djokovic hit 39 winners and 22 unforced errors but that was enough to beat Cobolli. Had it been a more experienced opponent, he would have pushed the Serbian to a fifth set, considering how many opportunities Djokovic gave Cobolli in the match. The Serb will now face Jannik Sinner next for a place in the final.

Flavio Cobolli says he’s still learning how to be a top player in the ATP

Flavio Cobolli achieved his breakthrough on tour last season after breaking into the Top 100 of the WTA rankings and ending the 2024 season in the top 40. This season he has continued with the impressive form, winning his first tour-level title at the Bucharest Open before claiming the Hamburg Open in May.