Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi was beaming with glory when he looked momentarily up in the sky after he won Italy’s first match against Australia in the Davis Cup finals.
Arnaldi had defeated Aussie player Alexei Popyrin, who was ranked 4 places above him in ATP, 7-5 2-6 6-4, to give Italy a 1-0 lead in the finals.
And after customarily greeting his foes after the game, Arnaldi made his way to the centre of the court to savor the biggest victory of his career. He then cupped his ears to hear the loud cheers that had echoed throughout the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena Arena.
Post-match interview
Contrary to the state of euphoria he was in after winning the match, Arnaldi was observed to be in a vulnerable state in his post-match interview.
Close to breaking down, Arnaldi said that the moment was very emotional for him, especially since his girlfriend’s father had recently passed away.
“It’s very emotional.. because a very important person passed away a month ago for me and my girlfriend. This is for him. She doesn’t know what it means for me,” Arnaldi said.
Matteo Arnaldi spoke after his win at Davis Cup about someone important who passed away recently:
“It’s very emotional.. because a very important person passed away a month ago for me & my girlfriend. This is for him. She doesn’t know what it means for me. Also for my country.… pic.twitter.com/oT6YYxYiNs
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 26, 2023
Arnaldi added that he dedicates his win to his country as well. He said it had been a difficult time for him, as he had been playing less over the past few weeks.
Sinner later revealed in an interview that Arnaldi had been dealing with a lot of injuries this year, and that despite his state, he still gave the team a lot of positive energy.
Arnaldi presents the trophy to girlfriend
Arnaldi was carefully holding the trophy he had just won from the prestigious tournament when his girlfriend arrived backstage.
Smiling proudly, he presented it to his girlfriend without saying a word. He also took a picture of his girlfriend as he posed with the enormous Davis Cup trophy.
A special moment ❤️
Matteo Arnaldi proudly shows his girlfriend his trophy 🏆📸#DavisCupFinals | @federtennis pic.twitter.com/0OCXrN0Hcn
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 27, 2023
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