Novak Djokovic takes revenge and sends Matteo Arnaldi back home to reach Geneva Open semifinals

Novak Djokovic made his second appearance at the Geneva Open on the evening of Thursday, May 22, facing his most recent conqueror, Matteo Arnaldi. The Serbian played a solid match against the tricky Italian, defeating him 6-4, 6-4. His next opponent in the semifinals will be the winner of the match between Alexei Popyrin and Cam Norrie.

The former world No. 1 returned to the court in Switzerland to play his round of 16 match at the 2025 Geneva Open. Djokovic was finally able to shake off a frustrating streak this season, as he had failed to register a single win across the three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments.

Fortunately for him, he managed to break that negative run against Hungarian player Marton Fucsovics, and now again this round against Arnaldi—the same man who had sent him home a few days ago in Madrid with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat. The Italian had also reached the quarterfinals after defeating another Hungarian, Fabian Marozsan, and had previously beaten Frenchman Hugo Gaston in the first round.

The first set saw Djokovic come out full steam ahead, securing an early break in the third game of the match. From that moment on, Djokovic served well, committed few errors, and took control of the match, calmly closing out the set while serving at 5-4 and capitalizing on that early break to take it 6-4.

The second set saw a more focused Arnaldi, who began to take some risks. Djokovic would lose his serve for the first time on the only break point the world No. 31 had up to that point.

Just when it looked like Arnaldi might level the match at one set apiece, the Italian collapsed, suffering back-to-back breaks in the 7th and 9th games—handing Djokovic an opportunity the 24-time Grand Slam champion wouldn't let slip. Sensing blood, Nole locked in and closed the match in style on his serve, with the same score as the first set.

This was a hugely important victory for Djokovic as he continues to gain rhythm and confidence on clay, getting his revenge for the loss Arnaldi had dealt him at the Caja Mágica. With this win, the reigning Olympic champion moves into the tournament's final four, where he'll face the winner of the upcoming match between Britain's Cam Norrie and Australia's Alexei Popyrin.

On his 38th birthday, the most accomplished player of all times proves that age is just a number. Can Djokovic capture his 100th career title before Roland Garros begins?

Match Statistics Arnaldi vs. Djokovic