Opponents for a day, enemies never. Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Musetti face each other in the round of 16 at the US Open: their first encounter dates back to a distant match in Rome when they were children.

The slaves Prisco and Vero came from the same land on the Danube. In Rome, they became glorious gladiators and friends. The people adored them, and the women even more so. Emperor Titus wanted them to fight each other to inaugurate the Colosseum. Prisco was a reziario (net and trident), Vero a secutor (sword and shield). A fierce battle that set the arena alight. After hours of fighting, exhausted, they raised their index fingers at the same moment, signifying surrender. Silence. What now? Who lives? Who dies? Titus gave them both the palm and the wooden sword, symbols of victory and freedom.

Never enemies—  Today’s duel between Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Musetti will be much less dramatic, at worst ending with a super tiebreak in the 5th set. But they too are friends against each other, a feeling that was born in Rome when they first competed against each other in the Lemon Bowl Under 10. Since then, they have always been together, sharing the same dream and the same planes. They are the same age. The lockdown brought them even closer together: they called each other constantly and posted photos of the dishes they cooked for fans to vote on. They climbed the ATP rankings together, but without crossing paths. Today, however, the emperor wants them in the same arena. Talented and cute, they are popular with Italians, and even more so with Italian women. Like Prisco and Vero. This is also because they vibrate and smock (one more than the other) like us, far from the imperturbability of the alien Sinner who could be waiting for them in the quarterfinals. That’s where they’re both aiming: for the throne. They have the elegance of our art history in their arms. Cobo and Muso, friends against each other in New York. Let’s enjoy them. No swords, the net is stretched in between. Who will win?