Rising Italian star Matteo Arnaldi says 'I am little Djokovic' on similarities between him and idol Novak Djokovic
Rising tennis talent Matteo Arnaldi has already trained with Novak Djokovic and is among the lucky ones to have shared the court with his lifelong tennis idol. The Italian believes he shares similarities with the Serbian great in terms of his on-court arsenal and has now called himself a "little Djokovic."
Arnaldi made a big breakthrough on the tour in 2022, qualifying for his debut appearance in the Next Gen ATP Finals. He ended the season at No. 134 in the ATP rankings. The 21-year-old could not clinch a win in the Next Gen Finals in Milan, but certainly seems to have great confidence in his skillset.
Matteo Arnaldi recently spoke about his admiration for Novak Djokovic and why he believes his game bears a resemblance to that of the 21-time Grand Slam champion. The Italian trained with Djokovic at the Italian Open in May.
In an interview with Il Messaggero, Arnaldi said:
"Djokovic has always been my idol, in Rome I even warmed him up before a match, he is my reference. Proportionally there are similarities: I too would define myself as a counter-attacker and I have always done the splits.
"Believe me, I am little Djokovic."
Arnaldi feels his best results so far have come on clay. However, he aims to use the experience and comfort earned from playing most of his tennis on hardcourts to make waves at the US Open and Australian Open.
"I also grew up on hard courts, then at the beginning of the year we started playing more indoors too, although my best results so far have been on clay. The US Open and the Australian Open remain Grand Slam tournaments where I dream of great results," Arnaldi added.
"You can’t do anything you have in mind" - Matteo Arnaldi on the experience of facing Novak Djokovic
Soon after his training session with his idol Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open, Matteo Arnaldi was even more in awe of the Serb.
Speaking about his experience back then, Arnaldi said that he found the Serb's game to be the cleanest compared to any other player he had faced. He also highlighted that the nine-time Australian Open winner can easily take time away from his opponents, restricting them from executing their strategies against him.
"Technically I found him extremely clean compared to the others I have played with up to now," Arnaldi said during the Italian Open. "His ball is very flat and you have a hard time playing with it, even on clay. It takes away your time, you can’t do anything you have in mind."
Training with the Serbian great also made Arnaldi realize what the difference was between the good players and the very best. Much of this lies in their mental strength and how they are able to perform during crucial moments in matches. He said during the same conversation:
"After the first round played with [Marin] Cilic and training with the World No.1 today, I realized that the difference with the greatest, it’s [not] in the level of tennis itself but in the way they act in the important moments.
"The mind and the management of one’s own tennis make the difference."
It's worth noting that neither Matteo Arnaldi nor Novak Djokovic will be in action at the upcoming United Cup.