Unseeded Italian Matteo Arnaldi delivered the biggest upset yet on the men\u2019s side of the French Open, defeating No. 7 seed and World No. 6 Andrey Rublev in straight sets today, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4, following his compatriot Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s upset of the No. 17 seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(4), 6-2 on the same court.<\/p>\n
Rublev\u2019s frustration with his level was evident as he yelled, kicked a bench, and hit himself with his racquet at various points throughout the match. On the other side of the net, Arnaldi kept his head down and played aggressive and inspired tennis to seal the victory, hitting 50 winners over the three sets played.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was playing really good,\u201d Arnaldi mused in an interview with Tennis TV<\/em> after the match. \u201cI think I played the best tennis for my life. I wasn\u2019t even expecting this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Italian Men and Women Drawing Inspiration from Each Other<\/strong><\/h4>\n
After the win, Marion Bartoli asked Arnaldi during his on-court interview whether he was inspired by Cocciaretto’s win earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it gives you a little a push, because we grew up together, we\u2019ve known each other since we were 11 or 12 years old,\u201d said the 23-year-old Arnaldi. \u201cAnd to see the others \u2013Jannik, Lorenzo, Luciano all of them \u2013 succeed, you want to do the same. It gives you a little push. A little confidence to go on court and do a little more and right now is maybe working. Today it\u2019s working.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Arnaldi will face former Roland Garros finalist and World No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas in his fourth-round match. This is only Arnaldi\u2019s second year playing at Roland Garros. He made his ATP main draw debut in 2022 in Rome and has been on an upward trajectory since. Arnaldi was instrumental in clinching the Davis Cup Championship for Italy in 2023, defeating Australia\u2019s Alexi Poprin<\/a> in a thrilling three-set match during the final.<\/p>\n