Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Alex de Minaur Italian Open hopes ended in frustration on Friday morning as the Australian world No.8 lost 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to Matteo Arnaldi at the Foro Italico in Rome.
The defeat matters because Alex de Minaur has now lost three matches in a row and suffered back-to-back first-match exits for the first time in three years.
The result adds to the latest tennis updates on SmartB Featured News, while official tournament coverage is available through the ATP Tour website.
De Minaur Falters After Bright Start
Alex de Minaur won the opening set against world No.106 Matteo Arnaldi, but the Italian lifted with strong backing from the Rome crowd.
The match lasted just under three hours, with Arnaldi feeding off the noise inside the Foro Italico as the contest tightened late.
De Minaur had been expected to set up a possible chance for revenge against Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, who beat him at the Madrid Masters.
Instead, the Australian’s clay-court problems deepened.
Frustration Shows in Deciding Set
De Minaur broke back to make it 4-4 in the third set, but then lost serve to love in a key swing.
After netting a forehand on game point, he smashed his racquet into the clay in a rare show of anger.
His frustration had been building as he looked toward his coaching box during an uneven performance.
De Minaur finished with 37 unforced errors, a number that reflected how hard he found it to keep control in the biggest points.
French Open Worry Builds
The loss leaves Alex de Minaur with four defeats from his past five clay-court matches.
That is a concern with the French Open approaching later this month, especially for a player trying to reset after a strong start to the wider season.