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So we now have Kaboli and Arnaldi the all Italian semifinals. It is 1-1 the most recent match right here. Roland Garos second round Kaboli four sets knocked him out. So they do have recent on this play. But it is interesting. Kaboli playing at a high level. Hasn't been on court as much as Arnaldi. Arnaldi's been all over the place. And in this youth movement where we have Menic, Kaboli just turned 24 in May and he is on the cusp of top 10. There's a good chance he becomes top 10 after this. We had him on the set. A very confident young man. We had Menchik as well. But Kaboli has something right now, a certain glean in his eye that makes you think he thinks he can win this thing.
Yeah, he definitely has the juice. I think when we have seen the swag of the younger guys and the younger generation, they're just different. I don't know what they're eating. I don't know what they're drinking. I don't know what's going on. But when I asked Manique, I'm like, what type of training are you doing that you can play three five setters? Like you're not able to even practice those things. So to even see Kabali get out there and play the tennis he did again against Learner was incredible. He basically annihilated him. Someone who had just won a tournament on Clay who had been playing so well. I think just the vibes that they're giving off as Sam likes to say, the aura that they're bringing to the
court um is actually truly incredible and special especially for the young guys and it's nice to see that they've all taken advantage of their draws and the younger guys are really stepping it up. Some sweet moments before this match as well. Baritini, Kaboli interacting with each other when they're on the bike afterwards. It's sort of this group, you know, Casper Rude talked about it after Madrid, I believe it was actually Rome, when he said the Italian Federation, what they're building even beyond center right now is very special. And I think this tournament is exemplifying it and it goes back to even when they were kids. Feritini, Kaboli, able to share. I
mean, look at this, you know, like the what's going on in Italian tennis right now. Eubanks, talk about a farm system. I mean, they're they're getting them from the grassroots, building them up. They're growing with each other. But I think one of the biggest things, and we spoke about it during the match, is that they're investing so much into the lower levels of pro tennis. That's giving kids that are 16, 17, 18, the opportunities to test their level against the pros, even if it is at a younger level, they can then go back, train, figure out what they need to improve. And then when they get into the challengers, they're not starruck. They played them a few times.
They've played guys who've been in the top 200. And I think that confidence is just growing. It also helps when you're being led by a guy like Yannik Center and you can practice with them. you can get advice from them and the coaches that have kind of surrounded that Italian Federation have done a great job of reinvesting their time, reinvesting their resources and it's given the younger kids the ability to see it and say, "Well, if that kid did it and he comes from the similar background as I did, maybe I can do it as well." And I think seeing is believing and that's one of the biggest things that they've been able to do.
I don't think there's a surprise that Carlos can lead to a Rafaodar, that an Arthur Feast can lead to a Kowame. When you have something to chase and something to strive for, it makes you better. And that's what's happening with Italian tennis. The first ever Italian semi-final in a major. Yeah, it's going to be great. And that image we just showed with Baritini and Kamboli, they won the Davis Cup last year without center and Mousetti, right? So that just shows the depth of the Italian tennis right now. And look, tomorrow they're going to have a grand slam finalist at least, right? And both of these guys, this match is going to they both have similar styles, right?
Just kind of aggressive baseliners. I think you got to give the edge to Kaboli, but it's going to be a big opportunity for one of these guys where I think if you would have poised this question 6 months ago, hey, is there a chance that Arnaldi or Kaboli makes it to a final of the French Open, you would have bet every dollar in your bank account that the answer would be no. But here we are. I think it's also pretty fitting that the man that's giving over the trophy this year, the Roland Garros trophy, Panata, the man who won Roland Garos 50 years ago and was the last Italian man to lift the trophy. After Ron though he
said I expect to give it to center. You might be giving it to Italian but it's not Yanik. Pretty unbelievable turn of events.
