Novak Djokovic Seeks Revenge Against Matteo Arnaldi

Novak Djokovic secured his first clay-court win since the Paris Olympics last year with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over Marton Fucsovics. The Serbian was 0-2 in the 2025 clay court season so far, but his first clay court win bodes well for Roland Garros, which starts in less than a week.

With his first win in the bag in Geneva, the Serb now has his sights on Matteo Arnaldi. Judging by what has happened recently between the two, it has all the makings of a spicy encounter. The Serbian is playing this tournament for the second consecutive year after losing in the semifinals last year.

Revenge Loading

Djokovic and Arnaldi have played only once against each other, which came recently at the Madrid Open. The Serb lost his opening round match to the Italian in straight sets to exit the tournament. Arnaldi, who considers the 24-time Grand Slam champion a hero, has beaten Fábián Marozsán and Hugo Gaston so far in the Geneva Open. However, Djokovic is in a different league despite his poor form.

The former World No. 1 came into this tournament after parting ways with Andy Murray. The duo ended a five-month partnership after the Madrid Open. The announcement was made shortly after Djokovic decided to skip the Italian Open.

What Did Novak Djokovic Say After the Match?

According to the reports from Tennis365, Djokovic was in a reflective mood after the match. He said, “My first win this season on clay, obviously, you know, it’s great to ‘break the ice’ in a way. It’s a very demanding surface. We all know how tricky it is to play on clay, just comparing to the other surfaces, you always have to expect an extra one or two shots coming back. Very glad, as I said, to be able to play the best tennis when it was most needed. I think all the way through, until the last moment, I was quite focused and pleased with the level of tennis.”

Djokovic is looking to win his 100th career ATP title, which would put him in the same bracket as Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer. He has come close at the Shanghai Masters and the Miami Open recently, losing to Jannik Sinner and Jakub Mensik in the finals. He is also chasing his first ATP title of the season and the first career title since winning the Gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year.