Matteo Arnaldi, from the Murcia challenger to the round of 16 of the US Open

Matteo Arnaldi, from the Murcia challenger to the round of 16 of the US Open

Matteo Arnaldi, number 61 on the ATP lists, is one of the five Italians in the world’s ‘top100’. Arnaldi has stood out in this edition of the US Open, reaching the fourth round of a major for the first time.

He has earned the right to be Alcaraz’s rival this Monday, in the day session, for a place in the quarterfinals. The San Remo tennis player started the campaign far from the elite, and that forced him to play challenger category tournaments to score points. In April, he was in Murcia and there Carlitos saw him for the first and only time. “I’m going to watch videos of his matches,” admits the first favorite in New York. Matteo left Murcia with the title under his arm.

In the big room, Carlitos has experienced facing opponents with whom he has never met before. He passed him in the first round with Dominik Koepfer and then with Lloyd Harris and now Arnaldi. The only one with whom there were precedents is Daniel Evans.