Cobolli Fights Back from Two Sets Down to Win Five-Set US Open Thriller

At the US Open, sixth seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy came from two sets down to beat Argentina's Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a first-round match that lasted four hours and 13 minutes. The 24-year-old Italian was the heavy favorite, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.21 on his victory.

Comesana, who once reached a career-high ranking of 54th, controlled the first two sets, but Cobolli turned the match around and won the next three. In the final set, the Italian recovered from an 0-2 deficit and saved two break points at 15-40 in the last game. This marked the first time in Cobolli's career that he won after losing the first two sets.

Despite losing the total points count 156-161 and second serve points 50% to 56%, Cobolli emerged victorious. He converted 6 of 18 break points compared to Comesana's 6 of 19. The ace and double fault counts were 7-5 and 12-7 respectively, while winners to unforced errors were 40-53 and 43-45.

Cobolli now leads the head-to-head series 2-0. The Italian has been playing in New York for the fifth consecutive year, with his best results being two third-round appearances in 2024 and 2025. American Taylor Fritz, the 10th seed, also advanced to the second round.

Rain caused delays on the day, with only the two largest stadiums having retractable roofs. Players reaching the second round earn $190,000, while the champion will take home a record $5.5 million, the largest prize in tennis history. The total prize pool is the biggest ever in Grand Slam history.