Italian tennis player Francesco Passaro, who recently gave an exclusive interview to Racket One, has battled through three rounds of US Open qualifying to reach the main draw for the first time in his career.

He defeated Yu-Hsiou Hsu, Rodrigo Pacheco Méndez and Henrique Rocha, finishing the final match 7–5, 6–3. That straight-sets win could give him extra confidence ahead of his debut in the main draw.

In the opening round, the 24-year-old will face his 23-year-old countryman Flavio Cobolli – another representative of the new wave of Italian tennis led by Jannik Sinner.

The two have never met on the professional tour. Passaro holds a modest 5–6 record this season, while Cobolli has been more consistent with a 25–19 mark and two ATP titles in 2025. Still, the matchup looks intriguing – close in age, both right-handers are part of the same Italian generation.

For Passaro, a win would be a meaningful milestone. Earlier this year he broke into the top 100 for the first time – peaking at No. 89 in February – but injuries forced him to miss tournaments and he has since slipped to No. 121. His run in New York signals a return to form and could mark an important step back toward the ATP elite.

Cover photo: Francesco Passaro during a practice session. Photo credit: Octagon.