The match was intense, and maybe that is what led to the ending. In three tight sets, Ben Shelton defeated Flavio Cobolli in the fourth round of the Canadian Open 6-4 4-6 7-6(1). It was a moment during the tie-break that caused things to ratchet up, though.
Cobolli made a motion with his arm near his head that Shelton took as some kind of personal attack. Whether it was or not is immaterial. In the heat of a tennis match, anything can add drama and intensity. Shelton certainly felt that way.
As the two players walked toward the net to do the customary bit of shaking hands, the American motioned the move the Italian had made and appeared to be asking what it was about. Cobolli said something inaudible, but was heard to say, "You deserved this match, but it’s not always with you."
Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli have an intense and interesting meeting of the minds at the Canadian Open
Cobolli's first language is not English, of course, so the meaning of the last part of that is not overly clear. What was clear was that Shelton was agitated and took a bit to relax. To be fair, the American said there was no "there" there, and the two players had talked in the locker room and everything was fine.
He also said that the Italian's ability to move around the court so well made the match a tougher one. The praise did not seem disingenuous.
Still, the post-match meeting at the net is one that tennis needs more of. It is uncomfortable, sure, but it also draws interest, but about a rivalry, not just a player screaming about what they see as a bad line call. Neither player yelled at the other. There was intensity, but it was controlled.
Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli had an exchange after the match in Toronto
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 4, 2025
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In the 1970s, arguably the height of popularity of the sport, especially in the United States, players felt freer to express themselves. Since the Code of Conduct was adopted, tennis has become a bit more robotic. We don't see the personalities of players as we once did.
Plus, budding young rivalries are great for the sport. Most people know that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the two best players going, and their rivalry is the most important, but tennis needs deep depth of intriguing matches.
Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli proved that it could happen. They played a high-level and well-played match, and then had an unfriendly meeting at the net. It was fun tennis.