In a thrilling display of tennis prowess, Lorenzo Sonego defied the odds to knock out fourth seed Flavio Cobolli, setting the stage for an electrifying quarter-final at the Moselle Open in Metz. But here's where it gets controversial—was this an upset, or simply a testament to Sonego’s underrated skill? Let’s dive in.
November 4, 2025, marked a day of dramatic comebacks and rising stars on the ATP Tour. Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, a 30-year-old veteran with a soft spot for Metz (having claimed the title here in 2022), battled past his compatriot and friend, Flavio Cobolli, in a grueling 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. This win not only secured Sonego’s fourth tour-level quarter-final of the year but also snapped Cobolli’s impressive 2025 streak, which included 31 wins and titles in Bucharest and Hamburg. And this is the part most people miss: Cobolli, just 23, was on the cusp of breaking into the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings—a milestone now postponed. Does this early exit signal a dip in form, or is Cobolli simply saving his best for the bigger stages?
Sonego’s next challenge will be against either Hugo Gaston or Daniel Altmaier, following his second Top 30 win of the season. Meanwhile, Alexander Blockx, the 20-year-old Belgian sensation, continued his meteoric rise. Fresh off a Challenger Tour title, Blockx outlasted Italian qualifier Francesco Passaro in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 thriller, showcasing his firepower with 16 aces and saving eight of nine break points. Blockx, currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is now just one win away from cracking the Top 100. But here’s the question: Can he sustain this momentum at the Next Gen ATP Finals next month?
Elsewhere in Metz, Aleksandar Vukic staged a jaw-dropping comeback, saving two match points to edge past Corentin Moutet in a 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(8) nail-biter. Vukic now leads their head-to-head series 2-0 and will face Matteo Berrettini in the second round. Kyrian Jacquet, a French lucky loser, and Daniel Altmaier also advanced, with Jacquet rallying to defeat Luca Van Assche 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Altmaier dispatching Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Controversial Take: While Sonego’s win is undoubtedly impressive, is he truly a contender for the title, or just a beneficiary of Cobolli’s off day? And with Blockx’s rapid ascent, are we witnessing the next big thing in tennis, or is he peaking too soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you think Sonego can go all the way, or is Cobolli’s early exit a mere blip in his otherwise stellar season?
