Flavio Cobolli exited the China Open in Beijing following a 6-3, 6-2 defeat to Roman Safiullin, a result that complicates the Italian player’s push for the ATP Finals in Turin. Safiullin holds a current ranking of 86 and a best ranking of 36, while Cobolli stands at number 7 in the world.
Despite the opening-round exit, the Italian player maintains the fifth position in the Race with 3530 points, holding a 970-point advantage over Alex de Minaur, who is the first player currently excluded from the Finals with 2560 points. Alexander Zverev leads the standings, followed by Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton at 4430 points, and Carlos Alcaraz, who is mathematically secure. Behind Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe totals 3275 points after an elimination by Arthur Fils in Tokyo, while Daniil Medvedev holds tenth place with 3220 points, with the possibility of narrowing the gap by winning the tournament in Beijing. Other competitors include Djokovic with 2530 points and Jodar with 2509 points.
The Road to Turin and Physical Management
Cobolli stated regarding the qualification race, Più che un obiettivo per me è un sogno. Non avrei mai pensato nella mia carriera di poter chiudere l’anno tra i migliori 8. Adesso ho 5 tornei e dovrò spremermi perché un po’ di stanchezza c’è. Ma invece di concentrarmi su questo, voglio pensare a quanto sarebbe divertente giocare lì.
Reflecting on his physical condition compared to the previous season, Cobolli noted that he entered the tournament in China fresher than the year before. After the US Open, he took seven to eight days off without tennis to visit his family and grandparents. Up to this point in the season, he has played four tournaments fewer than at the same stage last year.
Cobolli Wins Acapulco After Early Season Defeats
Cobolli’s 2026 season opened with a challenging stretch featuring four consecutive defeats and three first-round exits against Arthur Rinderknech, Arthur Fery at the Australian Open due to illness, Luca Nardi at Montpellier, and Jack Pinnington Jones at Dallas, alongside a single victory against Stan Wawrinka at the United Cup. The turning point arrived on American hard courts with a semifinal in Delray Beach against Sebastian Korda followed by his sole title of the year at Acapulco.
On grass, Cobolli matched his 2025 result by reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, matching a consistency that keeps him in contention for the season-ending championships despite the recent setback in Beijing.
Upcoming Commitments and Atmosphere in Beijing
Less than 48 hours after arriving from London, where he featured in the Laver Cup, Cobolli had already practiced with Francisco Cerundolo and Alex de Minaur ahead of his opening match against Roman Safiullin. Around the National Tennis Center in Beijing, it has become common to see local fans wearing AS Roma football shirts, including one supporter who appeared wearing a Bove jersey. Unlike the previous year in Beijing, when Lorenzo Musetti had to record a video ahead of the tournament to be used in the event of qualification, Flavio was spared that obligation.
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