From Milan To Madrid!: #NextGenATP Alumni Arnaldi Thriving On The Big Stage

It has been some six months for Matteo Arnaldi, and it all started in Milan.

The 22-year-old Italian, who stunned World No. 4 Casper Ruud in straight sets on Friday at the Mutua Madrid Open, enjoyed his first taste of the big time at last November’s Next Gen ATP Finals. Then ranked No. 134 with a 0-1 record at Tour level, Arnaldi credits his experience at the season-ending 21-and-under event as invaluable preparation for more regular appearances on the ATP Tour.

“For us Italians it was crazy, because from the first match it was unbelievable,” Arnaldi told ATPTour.com this week in Madrid. “Everyone was cheering for you. It kind of prepared me for the big stage.”

Arnaldi lost all three of his matches in Milan but he pushed Top 50 star and eventual champion Brandon Nakashima to five sets, a sign of his potential to go toe-to-toe with more established opponents. That was made even clearer against Ruud on Friday in Madrid, where the World No. 105 held his nerve to notch the biggest win of his career and reach the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time.

“I just tried to go on court and play my best tennis, and I think I did today,” said Arnaldi after the match. “Now I really don’t know what to say. I’m just trying to enjoy this moment and tomorrow it’s another day and I will try to prepare for the next match.

“For sure he [Ruud] didn’t play his best tennis, but when you come from [lower] down the rankings, they don’t know you. They maybe don’t know what you do well or what you don’t do well. I’m just happy.”

The period between Milan and Madrid saw Arnaldi lift his second and third ATP Challenger Tour titles, respectively, but it has also been a time of great discovery for the Italian at Tour level. As a qualifier, he made his debut at the Australian Open and five ATP Tour events, including the Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, prior to arriving in Madrid this week.

“I really liked my trip from Doha and Dubai to Indian Wells, Phoenix and Miami,” said Arnaldi. “It was my first very long trip, but the experience helped me a lot to play good matches at a high level and for so many weeks in a row.”

Despite falling short in five of his six qualification attempts, Arnaldi played Daniil Medvedev as a lucky loser in the first round in February in Dubai. Last week at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, he reached the second round as a qualifier after notching his maiden tour-level win against Jaume Munar.

“Everything is new. Every tournament I experience new things,” said Arnaldi. “I’m happy to play with [Ruud] and to have the opportunity to play on a big court like Arantxa Sanchez Stadium. I’ve played on the centre court in Dubai, the third court in Indian Wells.

“[Playing in] the biggest stadiums in every tournament is helping me to step on court more relaxed in the match. I think this year for me is the experience year, to be able to play my best tennis maybe next year.”

Arnaldi may not have to wait that long to make a further mark on the ATP Tour, however. His win against Ruud on Friday, which propelled him to No. 96 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, ensured he will break the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on 8 May. Before then, he has a third-round clash against home favourite Munar to look forward to in Madrid.

“It’s crazy,” said Arnaldi, when asked about reaching the Top 100. “It was one of my goals for this year, so if in April we achieved that, it’s good. It means that we are working the right way and I will try to continue like this.”