The two friends challenge each other in the third round of the US Open. And the blue clashes, which were previously a rarity, have now become a trend
The first Slam tournament (although at the time the categorization was not there) was Wimbledon 1877. The first Italian to take part in one of these tournaments, in 1911, was Gino De Martino. This is known history. But when there was the first derby, an all -Italian match, in a major? The Roland Garros 1929 had to be expected. At that juncture Baron Uberto de Morpurgo Batté, in the third round, Leonardo Bonzi. A 96 -year -old story and 28 episodes, the 29th will be interpreted on Saturday 30 August 2025 at the US Open by two great friends, Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli. With a curiosity: nobody has ever played beyond the third round.
Years of purgatory
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Only 8 derby took place in the last century, 5 of which after 1970. First thanks to the Golden Generation of Panatta and Barazzutti, who faced Wimbledon 1980 with Vittoria di Adriano, then with the contribution of the boys of the 90s. With Gianluca Pozzi who, by beating Renzo Furlan at the US Open 1994, became the first Italian to beat a compatriot in a major on concrete. Stories that, read today, almost seem to belong to another nation. It is no coincidence, in fact, that 17 of the 29 games all Italian at the Slam level have been held from 2017 onwards.
Sinner and more
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The Sinner effect, and the many high -level players that our tennis has produced in recent years, are certainly the most direct explanation of an exponential increase in Slam comparisons between Italian players. What before was almost a dream (“so at least one passes the turn”), today is sometimes lived as a sorrow, and a lost opportunity to bring an extra player to the next round. All the best Italians of recent years have had the opportunity to face their compatriots in the last decade, from Fognini to Musetti, obviously passing through caps, Sedui, Sinner. Which was the protagonist, precisely against Matteo at Wimbledon 2024, of the most beautiful derby at the level of quality. The most famous, due to the heated discussion at the end of the game after five intense sets, is probably probably the one won by Fognini against Caruso at the Australian Open 2021. The Major who, among all, has seen less episodes “Italian”.
The numbers
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As mentioned, the first Slam of the year was the scene of the lower number of Azzurri derby: two, the second won this year by Musetti against Arnaldi. The Slam that instead hosted more, and it is not really a surprise, instead Roland Garros remains with 12; Wimbledon follow with 9 (therefore prevalence of the two European majors) and the US Open in third place with 6, two of which in the edition of this year. Both starring Cobolli, first winning against Passaro and now in the third round against Musetti. Flavio will thus become the first Italian ever to play two derby in the same edition of a tournament. The record of matches against compatriots is at the time of Fabio Fognini, at an altitude of 5 with a budget of 4-1, and having touched all the Slam. In second place, at 4 with 4 wins, Sinner sits instead. That, if everything went by the best, already in the quarterfinals of the US Open, against one between Cobolli and Musetti, it could reach 5. By scoring also the most prestigious Slam derby of all. But it’s still early to talk about it.
All derby
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Therefore, waiting for the great third round challenge between Lorenzo and Flavio, highly anticipated since the draw, we list all the 28 Italian derby at the Slam level that has so far played:
3T Roland Garros 1929: Uberto de Morpurgo b. Leonardo Bonzi 6-3 6-1 6-1
1t Roland Garros 1969: Piero Toci b. Giuseppe Merlo 3-6 6-4 6-8 6-4
1t Roland Garros 1969: Massimo Di Domenico b. Eugenio Castigliano 6-1 6-4 6-3
2t Roland Garros 1978: Corrado Barazzutti b. Gianni Ocleppo 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3
2T Wimbledon 1980: Adriano Panatta b. Corrado Barazzutti 1-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-1
2t Roland Garros 1984: Claudio Panatta b. Corrado Barazzutti 7-6 4-2 Rit.
1t Wimbledon 1991: Omar Camporese b. Claudio Pistolesi 6-1 6-3 2-6 6-3
1t US Open 1994: Gianluca Pozzi b. Renzo Furlan 6-2 6-4 6-4
1T Wimbledon 2005: Davide Sanguinetti b. Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-2 6-1
1t Roland Garros 2006: Davide Sanguinetti b. Daniele Bracelets 3-6 7-6 6-3 6-3
2T Wimbledon 2006: Daniele Bracelets b. Stefano Galvani 6-3 6-7 6-3 6-4
1t Roland Garros 2014: Simone Bolelli b. Andrea Arnaboldi 6-4 6-4 6-2
2t Roland Garros 2017: Fabio Fognini b. Andreas Seppi 6-4 7-5 6-3
1t US Open 2017: Stefano Travaglia b. Fabio Fognini 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-0
3T US Open 2017: Paolo Lorenzi b. Thomas Fabbiano 6-2 6-4 6-4
2T Wimbledon 2018: Fabio Fognini b. Simone Bolelli 6-3 6-1
1t Roland Garros 2019: Fabio Fognini b. Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-0 3-6 6-3
2T Australian Open 2021: Fabio Fognini b. Salvatore Caruso 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-3 7-6
2t Roland Garros 2021: Jannik Sinner b. Gianluca Mager 6-1 7-5 3-6 6-3
3T Roland Garros 2021: Lorenzo Musetti b. Marco Cecchinato 3-6 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3
1t Wimbledon 2023: Matteo Berrettini b. Lorenzo Sonego 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-3
2T US Open 2023: Jannik Sinner b. Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 6-2 6-4
2T Wimbledon 2024: Jannik Sinner b. Matteo Berrettini 7-6 2-6 7-6
2T Wimbledon 2024: Lorenzo Musetti b. Luciano Darderi 6-4 4-6 6-7 6-4 6-4
1T Australian Open 2025: Lorenzo Musetti b. Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 4-6 7-6 6-3
2t Roland Garros 2025: Flavio Cobolli b. Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-7 6-1
1T Wimbledon 2025: Jannik Sinner b. Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0
1t US Open 2025: Flavio Cobolli b. Francesco Passaro 7-5 4-6 6-4 3-6 6-3
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