<p>The 24-year-old arrived at Roland Garros having never gone beyond the ‌quarter-finals of a major tournament and left it as a Grand Slam runner-up, his reputation transformed despite falling one ‌match short of the title.</p><p><strong>"Of course I have a very different level of self-belief ‌and awareness compared to when I started this tournament,"</strong> he told reporters after losing 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, ‌6-7(5), 6-1.</p><p><strong>"But I think the goals are still the same."</strong></p><p>Those goals now include qualifying ‌for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, a target Cobolli revealed had been set before the clay-court major began.</p><p><strong>"We've set ourselves a goal that I don't want to tell you yet ... actually, it's Turin. That has ‌been the objective since the start of the year,"</strong> said ⁠Cobolli, who moved up to fourth place in ‌the Race to Turin.</p><p><strong>"We're working to get there. It's very difficult because only eight players make it, ​but with the level I've shown over these weeks, and with all the work my team does behind the scenes, I'm sure I'll get there."</strong></p><p>Cobolli came within touching ​distance of taking a two-sets-to-one lead but believes a missed opportunity late in the third set altered the course of the contest.</p><p><strong>"The biggest regret? Yes, that game at the end ⁠of the third set changed everything,"</strong> ​he said.</p><p><strong>"But, as I said before, I'm not used to this kind of pressure yet. I felt I was close, and in the important moments maybe I rushed a little. That's what hurt me. But you learn from those decisions."</strong></p><p>The Italian had spent the previous fortnight playing with ‌freedom and confidence, but the magnitude of the occasion hit him from the moment he woke up on Sunday morning.</p><p><strong>"Yesterday I was nervous, but I handled it well and stuck to the routine we've followed for two weeks,"</strong> he said.</p><p>"Today I woke up much more nervous than I expected. I had a huge knot in my stomach, something I don't usually have, and I had to fight that feeling all day.</p><p><strong>"You have to understand the pressure of a Grand Slam final, especially for someone who isn't used to playing matches like this."</strong></p><p>In true Italian style, he also paid tribute to his family, particularly his mother, who rarely travels ‌to tournaments but was present for the biggest match of his career.</p><p><strong>"My mother raised me,"</strong> ​Cobolli said.</p><p><strong>"She drove me everywhere, sat through every practice session and was always there ‌for me. She deserves to have been here."</strong></p><p>As painful as the defeat was, Cobolli preferred to focus on what had been gained rather than what had slipped away.</p><p><strong>"At the end of the day they'll hug me because we've played a Grand Slam final, and nobody can take that away from us," </strong>he said.</p><p><strong>"As I said during the ceremony, ⁠this match has to be taken with ⁠a smile. We all gave everything. ‌I have no regrets, so I can be calm and keep moving forward."</strong></p>