Azzurri at Wimbledon: Paolini and Cobolli Fly to the Quarters

Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2026 together, giving Italy a double celebration on the London grass. The Tuscan, seeded 13th, defeated the Filipina Alexandra Eala 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, while the Roman, the number 10 seed, beat Australian Alex de Minaur 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3.

For Paolini it is a return to the last eight at the Championships for the first time since her 2024 run, when she reached the final. Eala, coming off her upset of defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round, fought point for point and took the second set, but in the third the Italian's greater experience made the difference.

Cobolli, meanwhile, seals his second consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinal. The 24-year-old becomes the third Italian man ever to reach this stage more than once on the Slam grass, after Nicola Pietrangeli and Jannik Sinner. Against de Minaur he claimed his first win in three head-to-head meetings, and it is his 27th victory of the season, his fourth against a top-ten player in 2026.

One detail sums up Cobolli's tournament well: he dropped the first set in each of his first three matches so far, and won them all. Against de Minaur he changed the script, taking the lead early and never conceding a break deficit again. Two different journeys, Paolini's and Cobolli's, crossing on the same day and keeping Italy in the spotlight in the second week of Wimbledon.