Flavio Cobolli joked that Serena Williams tried to intimidate him before their US Open mixed doubles quarter-final, although the exchange was clearly more playful than serious. The Italian revealed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion told him she spoke better Italian than he did before taking the court alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Whatever Williams’ intention, Cobolli did not seem particularly bothered by it. He and Belinda Bencic went on to defeat Williams and Alcaraz 5-4(4), 4-1 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the semifinals and ending one of the most anticipated mixed doubles pairings of the tournament.
The occasion already had plenty of weight. Williams was returning to the US Open at 44, four years after her last appearance at the tournament, while Alcaraz was playing his first competitive tennis since suffering a wrist injury in Barcelona in April. The Spaniard is also the defending US Open men’s singles champion.
Bencic and Cobolli, meanwhile, already knew exactly what they could produce together. The pair won the BNP Paribas Mixed Doubles title at Indian Wells earlier this year, defeating several established doubles specialists along the way. They reunited in New York and entered the tournament as the No. 4 seeds.
Serena’s playful mind game falls flat
After the match, Cobolli explained the exchange with Serena Williams, admitting that facing the American legend was something he never expected to experience.
“I never thought I’d play against Serena in my life, it was incredible,” Cobolli said – as reported by Punto de Break. “She told me she speaks better Italian than me. She tried to intimidate me before the match, but it didn’t work.”
