Matteo Arnaldi vs Andrey Rublev Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | First Round
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Andrey Rublev begins his Australian Open campaign against Matteo Arnaldi.
Start date/time:
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Outdoor hard
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel
Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Matteo Arnaldi vs Andrey Rublev ticket information
Matteo Arnaldi vs Andrey Rublev prediction
Matteo Arnaldi has not featured on the tour since pulling out of the Brisbane International at the start of the month. The Italian won his first match in qualifying against Hugo Gaston but withdrew before his match against Rinky Hijikata. An average 2025 has seen his ranking drop to 65 in the world.
Andrey Rublev is his first-round opponent. The Russian struggled for form last year and dropped out of the world’s top 10. There were some highlights, with quarter-finals in Cincinnati and Toronto, along with fourth-round appearances at three of the four Grand Slams and a title in Doha, but Rublev also suffered a string of early exits, including at the Australian Open last year.
Rublev made the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open in his first event of the year, losing to Lorenzo Musetti. The head-to-head is locked at 2-2, with Arnaldi winning their most recent encounter at Indian Wells last year. Nevertheless, this should be a comfortable win for the three-time quarter-finalist in Melbourne.
Matteo Arnaldi vs Andrey Rublev tip: Andrey Rublev to win 3-0
