After two and a half months sidelined with injury, Lorenzo Musetti made a triumphant return to competitive tennis at the ATP 500 in Washington on Monday, advancing to the second round after compatriot Matteo Arnaldi retired in the second set.
The all-Italian first-round clash lasted just 40 minutes, with Musetti dominating from the first ball. He took the opening set 6-0 in devastating fashion, breaking Arnaldi's serve three times while facing no break points of his own. When Arnaldi called for the physio early in the second set and ultimately retired trailing 3-1, the scoreline underlined Musetti's complete control — the 23-year-old Carrara native won 37 points to Arnaldi's 15.
For Musetti, the performance carried extra significance. The world No. 16 had been absent from the tour since mid-May, forced to miss both Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a recurring physical issue. His movement and timing in Washington showed no signs of rust, a promising sign for the remainder of the North American hard-court swing.
"It's never the way you want to win a match, especially against a friend and a fellow Italian," Musetti said courtside. "But I felt good out there. The body responded well, and that's the most important thing after such a long time away."
Arnaldi's condition remains a concern. The 24-year-old from Sanremo had been struggling with discomfort from the opening games and was unable to maintain his usual intensity. His team will assess the injury ahead of the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati.
Musetti will face Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the second round on Wednesday. Vukic, currently ranked No. 89 in the world, advanced with a first-round win of his own. The two have never met on the ATP Tour, setting up an intriguing clash between Musetti's elegant one-handed backhand and Vukic's powerful lefty serve.
The Mubadala Citi DC Open, an ATP 500 event, continues throughout the week at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
Sources
- Sky Sport: https://sport.sky.it/tennis/2026/07/27/musetti-arnaldi-atp-washington-risultato
