On the eve of his match against Rublev, the Italian player found himself without his specific shoes, which are no longer in production. Having solved the problem immediately, he launched an appeal on social media.

Matteo Arnaldi’s first Grand Slam of 2026 got off to a decidedly unusual start. A long and unexpected journey, which began in a small town in Poland and ended in Melbourne, with a highly unusual protagonist: a pair of shoes. On the eve of his Australian Open debut against Andrey Rublev—a match he lost in three sets—the Italian tennis player found himself without his specific shoes, the Asics Solution Speed FF 2. This model is essential for managing his injuries, but it is now out of production. This led to a significant logistical problem, which was solved in an effective and curious way: thanks to a ride on BlaBlaCar.

As reported by The First Serve, the shoes were no longer available in Australia. However, with the help of coach Marcel du Coudray, Arnaldi managed to find four pairs in a small shop in Czestochowa, near Warsaw. As it was Saturday, traditional shipping would have been complicated, so the shoes reached Warsaw via BlaBlaCar. From there, thanks to the intervention of a friend of the coach, who works with the Polish federation, they were put on a flight to Melbourne, arriving on Sunday in time for the debut, albeit without the desired sporting effect.

The appeal—  However, the story did not end in Melbourne. The model is still out of production, and the tennis player from Sanremo still needs those shoes. Hence the decision to launch an appeal: asking on social media for Asics Solution Speed FF 2 shoes, size 45. Arnaldi has promised an autographed jersey to anyone who succeeds in finding them for him. This story shows that tennis is also about details, which can sometimes be decisive.