Cobolli and Nadal's Shower: The Lucky Ritual on the Way to the Semifinal

Flavio Cobolli reached his first career Slam semifinal by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Roland Garros quarterfinals, and recounted the lucky ritual that has accompanied him through this week in Paris: the same restaurant, the same menu and, above all, always the same shower. The one Rafael Nadal used to use.

The Italian, 24 years old and seeded number 10, explained that he had relied on a small habit charged with memory. He had once gone looking for the Spaniard, and Nadal had called him back because he was waiting for him: he had told him that this shower had been his for fourteen years. "Sono un po' scaramantico, ma non pazzo, questa settimana un po' più pazzo del solito" ("I'm a bit superstitious, but not crazy, this week a bit crazier than usual"), Cobolli recounted, joking that the best thing he had done was exactly to take that shower.

The story comes on the most important day of the Roman's career, and not just for him. On Friday 5 June Cobolli will face Matteo Arnaldi in the first all-Italian semifinal ever at a men's Slam, a result that in any case guarantees an Italian finalist at Roland Garros 2026. Arnaldi reached the penultimate round when Matteo Berrettini retired with a hip problem while trailing 7-5, 5-2.

Between superstition and history, the Paris tournament hands Italy an unprecedented moment. And if Nadal's shower really does bring luck, at least one of the two will know what to answer.