The offseason is typically a time when players are able to mentally and physically reset, enjoy time with family and friends, and prepare for the year ahead. This offseason was not that simple for rising Italian Flavio Cobolli.
The 22-year-old’s longtime best friend is Edoardo Bove, an Italian footballer on loan to Serie A club Fiorentina. During the team’s 1 December match against Inter Milan, Bove suffered a serious medical incident, collapsing on the pitch.
“It was tough because I watched the game live. I was in front of my TV, and I froze immediately,” Cobolli told ATPTour.com. “When I watched that moment, I called my mom, crying, and she told me, ‘Flavio, stop there, I’ll come to you’, because it was tough for me.
“I couldn't drive and go home. My mom came and we went home to follow that moment on TV. We waited a few hours to stay a little bit more relaxed on that specific thing. It was tough.”
Cobolli and Bove first met when they were seven years old and now are like family. They played football and tennis together growing up.
“I started playing in Roma on the team at nine years old, and he was playing tennis, and then we changed. He was playing football more than me, and I played tennis more than him,” Cobolli recalled. “I think the funniest thing is we are here [together] since we were young. It is a great thing. We love to speak about that.”
The childhood best friends have become two of the best athletes in the world. Bove, who played for their favourite club, AS Roma, even visited Wimbledon this year to spend time with his friend. It has made for a difficult month for Cobolli as his friend has recovered.
“We talk every day with each other, and we have a big relationship,” Cobolli said. “I went to his home for two days in Florence, and he’s okay. He's always smiling, and I'm with him always.”
There is a big difference in dealing with adversity on the tennis court and in life. This situation has helped put things into perspective for Cobolli, the No. 32 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“It was tough,” Cobolli said. “The family called me and said to me, ‘Stay relaxed, because he's okay. Continue doing your thing and stay focused on your thing’. So now I'm okay, and he's okay. That is the important thing.
“He's doing better. Now he's happy, and he's also relaxing a little bit at home. Like I said before, he's always smiling.”
Cobolli will begin his season on Sunday evening against Dominic Stricker in Italy’s United Cup tie against Switzerland.
