“You are the best player in the world man, you should know it” 🥹 My absolute favourite moment from this event so far. Cobolli tentatively walking up to Carlos, Carlos noticing him and making him feel seen and heard. Both of them are such sweethearts.
"It's absurd that I have to explain": Flavio Cobolli hits back at criticism over Carlos Alcaraz best player compliment
ATPWednesday, 25 September 2024 at 12:30
Flavio Cobolli served as the alternate for Team Europe at the 2024 Laver Cup and witnessed the heroics of Carlos Alcaraz first hand. But it also stirred controversy with his comments about the Spaniard being misconstrued as a slight to Jannik Sinner.
Cobolli called Alcaraz the best player in the world but was criticised for not calling Sinner it instead especially back home in Italy. He used Ronaldo and Messi as a comparison and said he's not going to tell the former that Messi is better to his face and that is disrespectful to think that.
"I don’t know what to say, I find it absurd what is happening in Italy, I think it’s absurd that I have to explain why I told Carlos Alcaraz that he is the best in the world: what should I say to someone who is top 2 in the world while I am top 30… it’s as if I were talking to Ronaldo, it’s not like I tell him that Messi is better," Cobolli said to Dna da Tennis.
He also opened up on his relationship with Sinner as a result and said that he didn't mean to offend anyone if that is how it is construed.
"I have enormous respect for Jannik, I am his biggest fan, he also helped me a lot in Davis, I absolutely didn’t want to offend him. We need more respect for them, I don’t care about other people’s thoughts," he added.
Some on social media called it their favourite moment from the Laver Cup and others criticised it. Being from the country of two rivals of the future, it is bound to stir the pot. But Cobolli likely wouldn't have thought it would've gone how it did when he made such a comment earlier in the week.
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