"First you need to be facing the net and not the wall": Novak Djokovic savagely responds to Matteo Arnaldi 'coming for you' message

Novak Djokovic delivered a savage response to Matteo Arnaldi after the Italian player joked that he was coming after the World No. 1.

The World No. 46 jokingly challenged Djokovic after an image of him in a split-like position went viral, with many likening the position to Spider-Man. Arnaldi came through a closely contested battle against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna to win in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2).

However, his run came to an end against Andrey Rublev, who defeated the Italian player 7-5, 6-3. Nevertheless, Arnaldi displayed some strong athleticism, and flexibility, on the court which is showcased by his viral move.

Tennis Channel shared the image of Arnaldi in the split position while facing the back wall of the court on Instagram alongside a photo of Tom Holland's rendition of Spider-Man doing the same move, accompanied by the caption "tell us he's not spider man".

Following this, Arnaldi shared the post on his own Instagram stories and warned the 24-time Grand Slam champion to be prepared.

"@djokernole I’m coming for you," he wrote.

Hilariously, Djokovic then continued the joke with a savage comeback:

"First, you need to be facing the net and not the wall. Then we can talk," he commented.

Arnaldi previously had the opportunity to train with Djokovic at the 2022 Italian Open and opened up on the experience in an interview with Ruetir.

"Novak has always been my idol and that’s why I entered the field a bit tense. It was an incredible feeling to be able to trade with the # 1 in the world," he said.

Arnaldi also stressed how difficult the 36-year-old is to defeat by detailing aspects of his playing style.

"Technically I found him extremely clean compared to the others I have played with up to now. His ball is very flat and you have a hard time playing with it, even on clay. It takes away your time, you can’t do anything you have in mind," he continued.