Lorenzo Musetti Admits Victory Against Novak Djokovic is the Best Match of His Career

Lorenzo Musetti is currently going through one of the most difficult low points of his career. The Italian star has struggled with fitness issues since January and has had to withdraw from several tournaments this season. However, reflecting on the most important moments of his career, he looked back on defeating Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Musetti was outside the Top 20 in the ATP rankings when he faced Djokovic at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic, at that time, was World No.1 and had won the Australian Open before their meeting in April. Musetti had never reached a Grand Slam quarter-final at that time but was one of the most promising talents on the court.

The then 21-year-old lost the first set match against Djokovic 4-6 and looked set to crash out of the tournament. But the Italian star rallied back into the match, breaking the Serbian legend in the tenth game to win the second set 7-5. He then won the third set 6-4 to earn his biggest career win and reach the quarter-finals.

The match, which lasted for two hours and 54 minutes, ended with Musetti almost in tears. The 24-year-old was close to beating Djokovic at the Australian Open in January. He was two sets up in the tie before he began to struggle with physical issues, which led to him retiring from the clash in the third set.

Since that clash, Musetti has not been able to win four consecutive matches on tour, and that has been a worrying sign for the 24-year-old entering the second half of the season. Nonetheless, in his interview with L’OFFICIEL, Musetti admitted that one of the most important matches of his career was the win against Djokovic in 2023:

If by “best” you mean “most important,” I’d say the one where I won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics against Aliassime, even if it wasn’t my best match from a purely tennis perspective. But in terms of importance, it’s perhaps that one. The one that brought me the most satisfaction? When I beat Novak Djokovic at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2023. He was world number one at the time, a player I’ve always admired since I was a child.

Djokovic has not played a competitive match since losing to Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open. He has played in just four tournaments this season, and he’s expected to feature at the Wimbledon Championships, a tournament he has won seven times and aims to tie Roger Federer‘s record of eight Wimbledon titles.

Lorenzo Musetti the drive behind his passion for tennis

Lorenzo Musetti has withdrawn from this year’s Wimbledon Championships. He now joins the list of those who have pulled out of the grass-court Grand Slam, with Carlos Alcaraz the top player amongst them. This is very disappointing for the former World No.5, who had ended last season playing at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Musetti is one of the few players who have demonstrated unique qualities on the court and has been an oftentimes a threat against top players on the court. His eagerness to win matches, especially in Grand Slam tournaments, has been incredible. During the aforementioned interview, he revealed how much he loves playing tennis:

My passion for tennis was passed on to me by my father, who never played professionally, but always as an amateur. I was four years old when he gave me a mini racket. I started playing in my grandmother’s basement, and quite naturally, the game turned into a passion: even today, hitting the ball and the sound it makes when you hit it are the things that make me happy.

Musetti has not played a match since falling on the clay court during his match against Casper Ruud in the fourth round of the Italian Open. He withdrew from the Roland Garros and now the Wimbledon Championships. He has only recorded 13 wins this season from seven tournaments, which is poor by his standards.

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