It was one of those matches that the favorite wins but from which we still leave with wide eyes, not a little proud to have witnessed the blossoming of a superb player. When Lorenzo Musetti lost in 5 sets (6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0, 4-0, ab.) in the round of 16 at Roland Garros against Novak Djokovic, his defeat seemed very little considering the adversity he had offered the Serb, for his first adventure in the main draw of a Major. “We may have the new Roger Federer“, greeted Camille Pin for Eurosport, who discovered him during the tournament.
At the age of 19, Musetti played wonderful tennis for 2 sets, which Djokovic applauded several times. Completely exhausted, the Italian had given up at 4-0 against him in the 5th round, but he had just made a sensational entry into the big leagues. 3 years later, when it was time to find his first executioner at Porte d’Auteuil, Lorenzo Musetti had changed a lot. Except that he has still not achieved a better performance than then in the Grand Slam.
“With Musetti, we perhaps have the new Roger Federer”
Comparing myself to Jannik Sinner no longer makes sense
It’s not that he hasn’t progressed. Simply, the Italian has progressed less quickly than other young shoots who have become terrors of the circuit in no time: Carlos Alcaraz obviously, Jannik Sinner more recently, even Holger Rune whose end of year 2022 revealed all the potential. Musetti reached the very high level in the shadow of these phenomena, and keeps above his head, unlike all of them, a real glass ceiling in the biggest tournaments.
“The comparison with Jannik (Sinner, editor’s note) has always been there, but comparing myself to him no longer makes any sensehe said without rancor a few weeks ago, during the Turin Challenger. He is almost world No. 1, has already won a Grand Slam and has had more important experiences than me.” Musetti is less obsessed with systematic winning, he still has a penchant for the beautiful game, the aesthetic. So, he does not climb the ladder with a bang. He has gained in stability, spicing up his very aesthetic game with technical corrections to gain in efficiency and power, particularly in serving. He has also gained in maturity, in the management of his efforts and in his ability to remain in control of his emotions; his nerves are not the strongest on the circuit.
Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner won the 2023 Davis Cup together against Australia.
Credit: Getty Images
The year of confirmation
This is because 2024, on the court as in his personal life, constitutes the year which should see him grow: because Lorenzo has been watching over his son Ludovico since March, born between the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments. “It’s very moving to no longer play just for yourself, but for your family, for your son and for those at homethe Italian opened up at a press conference, before the start of Roland-Garros. I try to be the best version of myself as a father, but also as a player. I believe this mindset will help me take a step forward.”
On the surface which is most successful for him, after two very diligent victories against Daniel Galan and Gaël Monfils, Lorenzo Musetti challenges a Novak Djokovic who is much less sovereign than in 2021, who is starting to know him well. “He is one of the most talented players on clay, with his beautiful one-handed backhandhe praised in Monte-Carlo this year, before dominating the Italian in 2 sets (7-5, 6-3). He is very athletic, he can accomplish a lot of great things. He is one of the most promising players, not only in Italy but in the world.“He still lacks a benchmark match in a Major, other than a valiant defeat, to mark the occasion. A rematch against Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros on Saturday, that’s an achievement that would remain engraved in stone. And a nice nod to eye, for the native of Carrara.
Diesel Djokovic finally calmed Musetti: highlights
