Penetta’s kiss to Cobolli in the exhibition match sparks heated discussion, Sun Fajing exits but still earns a huge prize of 300,000 yuan

On Thursday local time in the US, Italian rising star Cobolli paired with former US Open champion Penetta to appear as a unique Italian team in the exhibition match.

During the US Open exhibition, Penetta and Cobolli, from different generations, partnered to face Svitolina and Monfils. The match was light-hearted and enjoyable, a stark difference from the fiercely competitive Grand Slam main event. Players often engaged with the crowd, smiling and receiving applause. However, the moment when Penetta kissed Cobolli was caught by cameras, and this warm scene quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread online discussion.

Some netizens believe this exhibition match allows more people to enjoy tennis in a more relaxed manner, especially seeing many retired stars return to the court, which is undoubtedly a joyful event. Penetta was simply expressing her enthusiasm and affection for her fellow countryman, showing the mutual respect between players of different generations.

However, some others feel that “Penetta’s behavior was a bit too uninhibited; after all, this is a public event, and the kiss could easily be interpreted as an inappropriate advance. She could have chosen other ways to celebrate her joy.”

But for Cobolli, the Italian youngster seemed unbothered. After the exhibition, he shared photos and his feelings on social media: “Just took part in the #USOpen2025# exhibition today! Partnered with Penetta, the Italian duo Flavio and Flavia.” When asked by fans how he felt about being kissed by Penetta, Cobolli shyly replied, “Haha, it’s okay, just like that. I don’t mind at all, I have great respect for her!”

After hearing this from the Italian young player, fans stopped worrying and expressed their love for this special duo in the comments: “It’s amazing to see two generations of Italian tennis competing together! Penetta’s charm remains, and Cobolli is the future of Italian tennis.”

Penetta, as the 2015 US Open women’s singles champion, reached a career-high world ranking of sixth. She officially retired in February 2016, later married Italian veteran Fognini, and soon after welcomed their children. Cobolli is a representative of Italy’s new generation in tennis, currently ranked 17th in ATP singles and rising in his career.

Many fans felt regretful when Sun Fajing was eliminated in the second round of the US Open qualifiers. Yesterday, he lost 2-6, 2-6 to L. Harris in the qualifiers and failed to advance. However, Sun revealed after the match that he had caught a fever from being caught in the rain and hoped to recover soon.

Although he couldn’t progress further, Sun Fajing still earned the largest prize of his career: despite only reaching the second round of qualifiers, he received $41,800, nearly 300,000 yuan, which is a considerable sum.

Many netizens were also curious: how much of that prize money will Sun Fajing actually take home after taxes?

This involves the US Open’s tax rules: if only federal tax at 30% applies, the after-tax amount is about $30,510; if New York state tax (5%) is added, the net income is around $27,170; under the highest tax rate scenario (federal 37% + state 5% = 42%), the after-tax amount is approximately $24,244.

This clearly shows the earning power of Grand Slam tournaments. For Sun Fajing, this money will allow him to better prepare for upcoming matches. According to the schedule, he will appear next week at the Zhangjiagang CH75 event. Currently, Sun is 80 points short of qualifying for next year’s Australian Open. If he wins a few more matches in the upcoming Chinese season, he can almost secure a spot in next year’s Australian Open! Let’s wait and see!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)