Flavio Cobolli to long-term partner Matilde Galli: ‘My best dream is to see her happy’ | ATP Tour

Racquets and relationships

Cobolli to his long-time partner Galli: ‘My best dream is to see him happy’

Italian star Cobolli reveals the importance of his girlfriend

April 30, 2026

When Flavio Cobolli takes to the court on Thursday for his Mutua Madrid Open quarter-final match against second seed Alexander Zverev, the Italian knows he will have more than just his tennis team in his corner.

Her 23-year-old teammate, Matilde Galli, has played a key role in Cobolli’s ascent on the ATP Tour.

“I knew him when I wasn’t there,” Cobolli told ATPtour.com. “I was outside of this Tour, and I grew up completely here. I met him when I was 18, I was a thousand-something in the world, and we are still together. So I think we found something that works.”

Cobolli first met her partner at her best friend’s birthday party — Galli was there with her best friend’s sister. That was an important moment in their lives.

Galli never misses a match played by Cobolli, explaining that he will see him compete at midnight. However, they never talk about the details of the game.

Instead, partners serve as each other’s supporters. Cobolli is a star on the ATP Tour, and Galli is studying to become a hospital health director.

“My best dream is to see him happy in what he is doing,” said Cobolli. “Your family is very important because we spend our time well, we do many things that we cannot do. So my dream is to have more time with him and see him happy in whatever he does.”

It is important for the number 13 player in the PIF ATP Rankings to be there for Galli in the same way that he is. The three-time ATP Tour title holder is happy to have a resource whenever he needs it.

“When you are afraid [studying for an exam]I try to be kind to him and help him in making his life easier. But it’s not easy when you’re always on Tour, and you have pressure everywhere and you have another pressure at home. It’s not easy,” said Cobolli, “But I think we’re doing well. We have a good relationship.”

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While other ATP players travel with their partners, Galli is often at home to focus on his studies. So finding a way to keep in touch consistently has proven to be important.

“I think we found a rhythm,” Cobolli said. “However, I want to see him more than I see him now and see him more in the competitions with me. But I think his first goal is to finish his studies and we will see after college if he can go further than what he is now.”

That’s not to say that Galli has never been on the road. Cobolli lost four of his first five matches this season, after which he asked his girlfriend to spend time with him on the ATP Tour. That proved useful, as Cobolli then reached the semifinals in Delray Beach and won the ATP 500 event in Acapulco to overcome his slump and achieve one of the best streaks of his career.

“I love him so much, and I think he loves me too,” said Cobolli, smiling. “We are very young, but we already have a good experience about ourselves and our lives to say that he is the one I want to be with for the rest of my life.

“It’s hard because we don’t see each other much during the year because he’s studying and I’m doing this life. [as a tennis player]. It’s hard because you always want to see him during the year, but it’s not possible. And we always try to find a way to be together [even when we are apart].”

On the tennis court, Cobolli has his team of coaches in his box to help guide him through difficult times. In the end, though, it’s him and his opponent in court. With that said, internal and external competition, Galli is always by his side – physically, or emotionally.

“If you can trust the person you love the most, that was important to us because you have someone on your shoulder,” said Cobolli. “I hope we can live together for the rest of our lives.”