Lorenzo Musetti will make his long-awaited return to competitive tennis at the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington this week, where he faces compatriot Matteo Arnaldi in a compelling all-Italian first-round derby.
The No.3 seed in the US capital takes to court for the first time since the Rome Masters in May, having been sidelined by a muscle injury that forced him to miss both Roland Garros and the entire grass-court season. The former world No.5, now ranked 15th, is eager to shake off the rust and rediscover the form that carried him to the Australian Open semi-finals in January.
That Melbourne run, where he led Novak Djokovic by two sets before injury struck, remains the high-water mark of a frustrating 2026 campaign. Musetti reached the Barcelona quarter-finals and made the fourth round in Madrid and Rome, but was never at full fitness. The gap from the tour has been significant — he has not played a competitive match in over two months.
Washington represents a fresh start. Musetti has parted ways with Spanish coach José Perlas, who was hired before the Australian swing, and is back with his long-time coach Simone Tartarini. The hope is that the familiar setup will provide the stability he needs to rebuild momentum ahead of the US Open.
Arnaldi, meanwhile, arrives in Washington with nothing to lose. The 24-year-old from Sanremo has established himself inside the top 40 with consistent results on hard courts and will be looking to capitalise on any signs of rust from his more decorated countryman. While Arnaldi has yet to reach the same heights as Musetti, he has proven a dangerous floater in early rounds of big events.
The winner of this all-Italian clash will face either Alejandro Tabilo or Tallon Griekspoor in the second round. Also in action on Day 1 for Italy: Elisabetta Cocciaretto takes on Denmark's Clara Tauson in the WTA 500 draw, while top seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori begin their doubles campaign against Julian Cash and Alexander Erler.
Play gets underway at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center from 17:00 local time, with Musetti and Arnaldi scheduled second on John Harris Court.
Sources
- https://www.tennisitaliano.it/atp-wta-washington-il-programma-di-oggi-in-campo-il-derby-arnaldi-musetti/
- https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/07/25/musetti-riparte-da-washington-per-ritrovare-tennis-e-morale-il-tennis-italiano-lo-aspetta/
