The Australian Open is approaching. Bellucci warms up the engines. First stop in Canberra

It starts from a delicate challenge to Martin Landaluce 2025 of Mattia BellucciThe 23-year-old from Busto Arsizio, who last season made a leap of over 70 positions in the world rankings which brought him close to the top 100 (he is now number 103), occupies the eighth seed seat in the challenger 125 which is played on the Australian concrete of Canberra, first stage of approach to the Australian Open, whose qualifications (for which Bellucci is registered) are scheduled for Monday 6 January.

On the other side of the net he will find the 18-year-old up-and-coming Spaniard, who at the end of the season reached a career-high ranking of number 151 in the world, and who everyone is speaking highly of after the retirement of Rafael Nadal, as an authoritative candidate to join Carlos Alcaraz in future Iberian conquests.

There is a precedent between the two dating back to the final of the Olbia challenger last October, which saw Landaluce prevail in two sets. Mattia's goal in the first phase of the season will be to obtain the highest number of points to finally break through the fateful 100 quota, touched only on one occasion in November.

Until May, there will be very few points to discard and a couple of good placings in events with significant prize money would allow the tennis player who trains at the Malpensa Tennis Academy to reach the deserved goal.

In Nonthaburi, Thailand, Federico Arnaboldi is present. The Brianza native, number 231 in the world, is registered for the first of three consecutive 75 challengers assigned to the location by the ATP and was certainly not favored by the draw, which will pit him in the first round against the Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, second favorite of the draw and 162 ATP.

Stefano Napolitano, on the other hand, will skip the Australian trip: after yet another stop last autumn due to back surgery, he has not yet completed his full rehabilitation process and will return to the circuit at the end of the Australian Open, when the calendar will offer the first European tournaments.