Matteo Arnaldi has persevered through a difficult start to the 2026 season. A quarter-finalist at last year’s Mutua Madrid Open, the Italian now finds himself in a much different position.
Battling a persistent right foot injury that has prevented him from training and competing consistently, the former World No. 29 is beginning to find a turning point during the clay-court swing.
After qualifying losses in Barcelona and Madrid, Arnaldi returned to Italian soil this week to play the Sardegna Open, an ATP Challenger 175 event in Cagliari. He won his opening match Wednesday against countryman Federico Arnaboldi 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.
"It's an important match for me, because I'm here to put in the hours and get back into top physical condition," Arnaldi said in Italian post match. "I'm happy that I won, even if I'm not satisfied with how I played, but that's normal.”
Moments like this 😤#ATPChallenger | 🇮🇹 Cagliari pic.twitter.com/WPfAgOrMhh
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Arnaldi arrived in Cagliari on a four-match skid with a 2-8 season record across all levels. Struggling to find rhythm and consistency, the 25-year-old wrote a candid message last month on Instagram: “The past six months have been the toughest of my career and not being able to play and seeing my ranking drop hasn’t been easy,” he shared.
Making his first ATP Challenger appearance in two years, Arnaldi spoke more about his difficult 2026 season following his three-set win.
“I couldn't train the way I wanted,” Arnaldi reflected. “I'd try to play, then I'd feel pain and have to stop. After Barcelona, I finally started training well, spending hours on the court. Here [in Cagliari] too, I trained hard in the days leading up to it and my foot is holding up. It's not fully recovered yet, but I'm improving day by day, and that's the most important thing."
Arnaldi was not the only home favourite to advance Wednesday. Mattia Bellucci won an all-Italian battle against fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 1-6, 7-5. Sonego, recently hampered by a wrist injury, was playing his fifth tournament of the year. Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo ousted #NextGenATP Italian Federico Cina 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3.
Buse, Royer & Bautista Agut advance in Aix-en-Provence, Dimitrov upset
Seeded players Ignacio Buse and Valentin Royer advanced at the Open Aix Provence Crédit Agricole, where former No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov was upset. Fifth seed Buse downed Argentine Francisco Comesana 7-6(4), 6-3 while sixth seed Royer beat Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-3.
Dimitrov was making his first Challenger appearance since 2012, but fell to Spanish wild card Pol Martin Tiffon 6-3, 6-4. The No. 312 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Martin Tiffon will next clash against top seed Alex Michelsen.
Roberto Bautista Agut, who this month announced that this year will be his final season on Tour, defeated Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg 7-5, 6-2. Up next for Bautista Agut is second seed Alejandro Tabilo.
A packed Aix-en-Provence crowd watches Pol Martin Tiffon stun Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Challenger
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