Lorenzo Musetti committed the best kind of Italian-on-Italian crime at the 2026 Citi Open because what he did to Matteo Arnaldi happened on a tennis court. The result was ugly and ended too early. Arnaldi retired due to an injury.
The match was Musetti's first since the Italian Open in early May due to a thigh muscle tear. He missed the French Open, where he might have challenged for a deep run in the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and, for most of the event, Jannik Sinner. The 15th-ranked player also missed Wimbledon.
At least he is back now and trying to get ready for the US Open. If one were to ask Arnaldi if Musetti is ready, Arnaldi would likely answer in the affirmative. He was hindered by a minor injury by the time the second set started, but make no mistake: Musetti wasn't going to lose, and the match was never close.
Lorenzo Musetti dispatches fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the 2026 Citi Open
In the opening set, one that Musetti took without dropping a game, the Italian was so dominant with his serve that he dropped just one point on it. In only one of the three games he broke Arnaldi, did the game go to deuce. Again, at some point during the set, Arnaldi wasn't 100 percent, but he likely saw the proverbial writing on the wall after being broken in the fourth game of set two.
At least Arnaldi won a game in the second set. He held, surprisingly at love, in the second game. He even got two points off Musetti's serve in the opening game, but the first two games of the final set were the best he would perform. The higher-ranked Italian would lose only two more points and led 3-1 when Arnaldi retired.
What made the performance even more impressive is that a tennis fan might have logically thought that Lorenzo Musetti might need a bit of prep before rounding into top form. He didn't need that at all. Instead, he played as if he hadn't missed nearly all of the last three months. He is truly a threat to win the Citi Open based on his first-round play.
Next up for Musetti in the second round of the 2026 Citi Open will be qualifier Aleksandar Vukic versus lucky loser Zachary Svajda. The Italian will be the heavy favorite to move on to the quarterfinals.
