Day 13 of Roland Garros 2026 will be remembered for the stark contrast between Alexander Zverev''s composed power and Matteo Arnaldi''s cruel fate.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev dispatched Jakub Mensik in four sets: 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The second seed built his victory on a hard-fought opening set before rolling through the second. The 20-year-old Czech showed fight by snatching the third, but Zverev reasserted control in the fourth to seal his spot. At 29, the Hamburg native will contest his fourth Grand Slam final and second in Paris, following his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. He remains in pursuit of a maiden major title after three lost finals (2020 US Open, 2024 Roland Garros, 2025 Australian Open).
The second semifinal never took place. Arnaldi, feverish and suffering from vomiting overnight, withdrew minutes before stepping on court. Flavio Cobolli, his compatriot and friend, inherited a spot in the final via walkover. The 24-year-old Roman, visibly moved, admitted he "almost cried" upon hearing the news.
The finals are now set. On the women''s side, Mirra Andreeva will face Maja Chwalinska on Saturday in an unprecedented final between two first-time Grand Slam finalists. On the men''s side, Zverev enters Sunday''s match as the clear favourite against Cobolli, having won three of their four meetings, including a dominant victory in Madrid in April (6-1, 6-4).
Roland Garros 2026 continues to surprise. None of the four finalists have ever won the tournament. On the Parisian clay, history is still being written.
