Arnaldi explains his withdrawal from Roland Garros: "I woke up at 1 a.m. and started vomiting"

Iker Jiménez | 5 Jun 2026 | 19.19

Arnaldi explains his withdrawal from Roland Garros: "I woke up at 1 a.m. and started vomiting." Source: Getty

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The great story of Roland Garros 2026 had an ending as unexpected as it was cruel. Matteo Arnaldi, who had made a spectacular journey in recent weeks to reach the semifinals of the Parisian tournament, was unable to play his match against Flavio Cobolli after suffering a severe viral illness that left him completely unable to compete.

The Italian appeared visibly affected at the press conference. Amid vomiting, fever, stomach problems, and evident dehydration, Arnaldi explained how he went from feeling perfectly fine during his training on Thursday to being forced to withdraw from his first Grand Slam semifinal just a few hours later.

Arnaldi explains the reason he had to withdraw from Roland Garros

"It's hard to be here, it's not what I wanted to do. Last night, I started feeling unwell. Yesterday, I felt good, came to train, did everything I had to, and felt perfectly fine. After dinner, I started feeling stomach discomfort, as if I hadn't digested properly. I woke up at one in the morning and started vomiting. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. At six or seven in the morning, I vomited again, and this time it was much worse. We called the doctor to the room, and he gave me something. I hoped it was just something related to dinner, but all day I couldn't eat. Every time I tried to eat or drink something, I had to go back to the bathroom.

It's very tough. Considering how I felt on the court during the tournament, I was in good shape. Having to withdraw from my first Grand Slam semifinal is not something I would wish on anyone. I tried to prepare and endure as much as possible. I tried to find a way to step onto the court, but every time I got up, I felt worse. I'm sure if I had tried eating again, I would have felt unwell. This was the right decision for me."

"It's difficult to be here... it's not what I wanted to do."

Matteo Arnaldi addressed the media after withdrawing from the Roland-Garros Semifinal due to a viral illness. pic.twitter.com/Jvb0zS1cJk
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) June 5, 2026

Arnaldi explains the origin of the issue that forced him to withdraw from Roland Garros

"I have no idea. I think it's a virus. I was very cold and had a fever during the day. Honestly, I don't know. All I know is I can't move, can't eat, and can't drink. There was no way to play. I feel sorry for all the Italian fans who had come to watch the match. I'm happy for Flavio because he'll play the final, but at the same time, I feel very bad for not being able to compete. It's hard to be here.

I haven't taken any medication. I went to dinner like any other day before a match. Honestly, I don't know. We still don't know what caused it. Something similar happened to me in Acapulco last year, but even then, we didn't exactly know what happened. It's true that I was tired because I had played a lot, but I was feeling fine. Yesterday, I trained for an hour and forty-five minutes, and everything was going as planned. Since last night, something has happened that we still don't understand and that continues today. I don't think it was just the food, because then it wouldn't have lasted all day. I'm convinced it's something viral."

Arnaldi reveals when he decided to withdraw from Roland Garros

"I tried until the last moment. I saw Flavio in the locker room around six. When it was time to start preparing for the match, I realized it was impossible for me to play and told him I wouldn't be able to.

Until then, I was trying to find any solution to get on the court. But it didn't make sense. I would have risked getting injured because I was dehydrated and had barely eaten. It wouldn't have been fair to him or to all the people who had come to watch the match."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Arnaldi explica su retirada de Roland Garros: "Me desperté a la una de la madrugada y empecé a vomitar"

Matteo Arnaldi