ATP Tour
Cobolli’s key to snapping losing run in Delray Beach: the power of The Hulk!

Tattoo of superhero commemorates his own role in Italy’s 2025 Davis Cup triumph

February 18, 2026

Flavio Cobolli is sporting a new Hulk tattoo on his right leg.

Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour

Flavio Cobolli is sporting a new Hulk tattoo on his right leg.
By ATP Staff

Flavio Cobolli, feeling like a superhero at the Delray Beach Open.

The third-seeded Italian celebrated his first ATP Tour win since 4 January on Wednesday by showing off his new tattoo to the crowd at the hard-court ATP 250 in Florida. Cobolli, who overcame Terence Atmane 7-5, 6-4, was quick to attribute his victory to the distinctive green character now inked into his right leg: The Hulk.

“In Davis Cup [last year], you remember I [ripped] my t-shirt, so now I have Hulk,” said the No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings Cobolli in his on-court interview. “It’s fresh, like two weeks old. I felt like Hulk on the court [then], so now I have to be like him!”

“I feel like Hulk on the court now” 🤣💪🦸‍♂️

Italian superhero @cobollifla has a new tattoo to share…#DBOpen | 📍Delray Beach pic.twitter.com/mCCda4gmim

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 18, 2026

Cobolli’s shirt-shredding celebration that inspired the tattoo came after he saved seven match points and won a 32-point deciding-set tie-break to overcome Zizou Bergs and seal Italy a spot in November’s Davis Cup Final, which the European country subsequently won. He showcased that sort of on-court grit again against Atmane on Wednesday by bouncing back from four consecutive defeats to set a quarter-final meeting with Coleman Wong, who defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6(4).

“It’s my first win [for a while], so I’m really happy to be in the middle of the court,” said Cobolli after levelling his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Atmane at 1-1. “It was tough, the beginning of the year, but now I’m really happy to be here at this fantastic tournament.

“It was a different result [to last time]. I lost to him last time with a great battle in Cincinnati. I practised well this week and felt comfortable staying on the court for a long time. I’m really happy how I managed this first round against a tough opponent like Terence.”

In other action, American Sebastian Korda defeated countryman Alex Michelsen 6-3, 7-6(6), saving four set points in the second set to avoid a decider and reach the last eight. The 25-year-old Korda broke Michelsen at 4-5 in the second set, crucially getting back on serve after facing three set points in that game. Korda fended off another set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break.

Korda, the No. 50 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is the second man to reach three tour-level quarter-finals this season, alongside Ben Shelton. A 2021 finalist in Delray Beach, Korda next faces second seed Casper Ruud or Marcos Giron.