Alex de Minaur's struggles continued at the Italian Open as he was defeated by Italian player Matteo Arnaldi with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. The match, held at the Foro Italico in Rome, lasted nearly three hours and saw de Minaur display visible frustration, culminating in him smashing his racquet after a game-losing forehand. This loss marks de Minaur's third consecutive defeat and his second first-round exit in a row, raising concerns about his performance on clay as he approaches the French Open later this month. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, returning from a shoulder injury, also faced a surprising exit, losing to 20-year-old Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic. With these results, Alexei Popyrin remains the only Australian left in the singles draw.