Flavio Cobolli channels the power of The Hulk in Delray Beach | ATP Tour | Tennis
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
Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour
Flavio Cobolli is sporting a new Hulk tattoo on his right leg. By ATP Staff
Flavio Cobolli (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/flavio-cobolli/c0e9/overview), feeling like a superhero at the Delray Beach Open (https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/delray-beach/499/overview).
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 (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/terence-atmane/a0gc/overview) 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!"
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 18, 2026 (https://twitter.com/atptour/status/2024220819585421670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
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 (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/zizou-bergs/bu13/overview) 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 (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/coleman-wong/w0bh/overview), who defeated Brandon Nakashima (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/brandon-nakashima/n0ae/overview) 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 (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/sebastian-korda/k0ah/overview) defeated countryman Alex Michelsen (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-michelsen/m0qi/overview) 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 (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/ben-shelton/s0s1/overview). A 2021 finalist in Delray Beach, Korda next faces second seed Casper Ruud (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/casper-ruud/rh16/overview) or Marcos Giron (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/marcos-giron/gc88/overview).
