For Cobolli, it was not always going to be tennis.

As a child he spent five years in the academies of his beloved football club Roma, where he played as a right-back.

Aged 14 he decided that was not for him and chose tennis, preferring the solo nature of the sport.

But his love for Roma remains. He attends matches when he can and still prefers to watch football over tennis on TV.

He has a tattoo on his chest with the words ‘sei tu l’unica mia sposa, sei tu l’unico mio amor’ which translates as ‘you are my only wife, you are my only love’ – a famous quote from club legend Daniele de Rossi.

Many of his good friends include the players he came through the academy with – Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori and Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove, who collapsed on the pitch during a Serie A match last year.

Cobolli was at that match and immediately broke down in tears when the incident occurred.

Bove has since surprised Cobolli by attending the final of the Hamburg Open earlier this year, where Cobolli beat Andrey Rublev in straight sets to win the title.

But Cobolli has not given up football altogether – he plays foot tennis with others on the ATP Tour, such as Carlos Alcaraz, and he also plays padel with his friends from Roma.