Although it is thousands of kilometers from his native Italy, Matteo Arnaldi feels very much at home in New York City – whether he is on site at the US Open or hangs around in the bustle of Manhattan.
When he is not busy with his tennis at Flushing Meadows, Arnaldi’s trips to New York involve many visits to Villa della Pace, an Italian restaurant in the East Village that has long welcomed the ATP Tour and Hologic WTA Tour stars of the country during their stay in the US Open.
“I always go there. I went there the first time I came here in 2022, and when I reached the fourth round in 2023, I went there every day,” said Arnaldi Atptour.com in Flushing Meadows. “[The owner is] Here he actually waits for me to come and say hello. ”
While Arnaldi completed his punishment, owner Giovanni Bartocci suddenly appeared from behind him to offer a hug.
“We’re talking about you!” Said Arnaldi.
“Is he talking about me in a bad way or just right?” asked Bartocci.
“The food is not good,” Arnaldi joked, pulling a faux-serious face.
According to various Italian ATP tour stars, the sarcastic assessment of Arnaldi cannot be further from the truth. Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Lorenzo Sonego belong to the other players to often visit the restaurant East Village when they are in the city for the US Open.
“I usually go with my team, but it’s like a player lounge,” said Arnaldi. “There are so many Italians. In fact, we have a whole dinner.”
The presence of authentic Italian restaurants such as Villa della Pace reflects the deep historic ties between New York and the South European country. Arnaldi says that he can feel that transatlantic connection in the food, culture and people of the city.
“There are so many good restaurants in New York, so I love that as a good Italian,” said the 24-year-old. “I don’t really know how to explain it, but every time I come here, I feel at home. I have the feeling that there are many people, some cheer for you and some not, but there are many people.
“Only the energy. When I come here, I just feel good. There are many Italians who work and visit. There is certainly a good Italian influence.”
Not that Arnaldi cannot appreciate the clear American character of New York. He remembers that he was blown away by everything ‘Big Apple’ when he first visited.
“I stay in the middle, so I usually explore, but I have been here six times or something, so I think I have seen almost everything,” said Arnaldi. “I just like to go on Fifth Avenue for a walk sometimes, go into the stores with my girlfriend. Pretty simple, but in later visits I focused more on tennis.
“When I came here as a junior, I did everything. I was so excited. I lost the second round, but I had something like:” Oh my God, New York. “Now it’s more tennis.”
Arnaldi reached the fourth round on the US Open 2023 before he fell to Carlos Alcaraz. Photocredit: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty images
Arnaldi will hope that the Focus will pay on Tuesday, when he faces 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo to open his US Open 2025. For the Italian, who is 18-19 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, it is a chance to add a success on a large stage to one up and down year.
“I have had to deal with a few injuries lately, so I hope to be able to set aside and just play tennis and enjoy it,” said Arnaldi, who is 5-2 at the US Open, including reaching the fourth round in 2023 when he fell at the then no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. “This us swing I had a problem with my foot and before it was my ankle. So it was not the best year injuries, and I hope this will be a change of my year.”
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