Italian tennis finds depth beyond Sinner as three men reach French Open last eight

For the first time in the modern era, three Italian men have reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in the same year. Matteo Berrettini will face Matteo Arnaldi in Wednesday's night session — guaranteeing at least one Italian in the semifinals — while Flavio Cobolli meets Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the same half of the draw. The achievement arrives without Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, who fell in the second round to an opponent ranked outside the top 50.

According to the Associated Press, Sinner's early exit marked a significant upset at Roland Garros, where he had been considered among the tournament favourites. The Italian has since travelled to Turin for in-depth medical examinations to determine the cause of recent health problems, according to reporting from Telecom Asia Sport. His absence from the latter stages has thrown the spotlight onto the depth of Italian men's tennis — a question that seemed unresolved as recently as last year.

Berrettini, a former world No. 10 and two-time Grand Slam finalist, has rebuilt his ranking after injury derailed his career trajectory. Arnaldi, 23, represents the emerging generation that Italian tennis has struggled to develop consistently. Cobolli, also in his early twenties, completes a trio that suggests the federation's youth development programmes are beginning to yield results beyond Sinner's dominance.