Wimbledon 2026 is already over for Matteo Arnaldi: Quentin Halys wins in four sets
Matteo Arnaldi’s run at Wimbledon came to an end in his very first match. It was a bitter debut against France’s Quentin Halys, who prevailed in four sets with a score of 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-3. It was a real nightmare for the 25-year-old from Liguria, who once again paid the price for his lack of familiarity with the London grass. In fact, this marks the fourth time in his career—and the fourth consecutive year—that the English Grand Slam has ended with a first-round exit.
And to think that against Halys, ranked No. 95 on the ATP Tour (Arnaldi is ranked No. 35), it seemed like this might finally be his year. The Sanremo native took the first set quite convincingly, recovering from an early break in the first game and winning five consecutive games to take a 5-2 lead, saving three break points along the way to clinch the decisive 6-3 set. Then, however, his momentum faded, as the Frenchman wrapped up the next set in half an hour and closed out the third in a tiebreak, despite the Italian having looked the better player. His comeback from 3-5, however, was confirmed in a fifth set he essentially controlled without ever really struggling.
This, however, is not the only sour note for Italian tennis at Wimbledon. On the same day, Luciano Darderi—the tournament’s No. 14 seed and the fourth-ranked Italian in the ATP rankings—was also eliminated: American Ethan Quinn, fresh off a loss in the Mallorca final to Davidovich Fokina, prevailed 7-6(7), 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and eighteen minutes, confirming the Italian-Argentine player’s struggles on this surface, which had already emerged earlier in the Mallorca tournament.
The first-round day also held surprises among the tour’s top players. Russia’s Andrey Rublev, ranked No. 13 in the world, fell in five sets to his compatriot Roman Safiullin after a four-hour marathon: 6-4, 6(6)-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(14-12) was the final score. Even more shocking was the upset of Cameron Norrie, the home favorite and world No. 29, who was overwhelmed by world No. 144 Michael Zheng with a score of 6(7)-7, 6-2, 6(2)-7, 6-3, 7-6(10-4) after more than four hours of play. Also out is Casper Ruud, the No. 12 player in the ATP rankings, who was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7).
For Arnaldi, the loss stings even more when you consider the path that could have opened up for him had he won. According to the draw released last Friday at the All England Club, the Sanremo native was seeded in the lower half of the draw and, had he advanced, would not have faced Jannik Sinner until at least the third round, as he was slated to potentially face the world No. 1 at that stage of the tournament. A missed opportunity, then, for Italy as well.
