The draw for the ATP 500 event in Washington, the Mubadala DC Open, has delivered an intriguing all-Italian first-round clash between Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Arnaldi. Scheduled for the week of July 27 at the Jack Kemp Tennis Stadium, the match guarantees at least one Italian progressing to the round of 16.
For Musetti, this marks a long-awaited return to competitive tennis. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since May, when he fell to Casper Ruud in the fourth round of the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome. He subsequently skipped both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, making Washington his comeback tournament after more than two months away from the tour. The world No. 17 from Carrara holds a perfect 3-0 head-to-head record against Arnaldi, though all three meetings came on clay — a surface very different from the hard courts of the US capital.
Arnaldi, ranked just outside the top 40, will be eager to turn the tide. The 25-year-old from Sanremo has shown steady improvement on hard courts this season and will see this as a genuine opportunity, especially given Musetti's lack of competitive rhythm. The winner advances to face either a qualifier or a lucky loser in the second round, with sixth seed Frances Tiafoe looming as a potential quarter-final opponent.
