Lorenzo Musetti Addresses Line Judge Controversy During Roland Garros Quarterfinal

Lorenzo Musetti has advanced to the Roland Garros semifinal for the first time in his career.

Lorenzo Musetti Addresses Line Judge Controversy During Roland Garros Quarterfinal

Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

Lorenzo Musetti has addressed the incident that nearly led to his disqualification from the Roland-Garros quarter-final. During his match against Frances Tiafoe, he accidentally kicked a ball that struck a line judge. The moment sparked controversy, as many questioned whether he should have been defaulted.

The Italian, now a semi-finalist at the French Open, admitted after the match that he was frightened about the possibility of being thrown out. Tiafoe also weighed in, calling the lack of a harsher penalty “comical,” adding to the debate over the decision. Musetti said in his Roland Garros press conference:

Yeah… Honestly it was a really unlucky coincidence. I was honestly scared because I really didn’t want to harm anybody. So I immediately went to the line umpire and I of course said sorry. I apologize to everyone. It was right to have a warning… but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that. That’s why probably just let me continue my game.

The incident occurred when Musetti lost a point and was trailing 3-5 in the second set. While facing away from the court, he dropped a ball and kicked it in frustration, unintentionally hitting the line judge in the chest. He quickly apologized, walking over and raising his racket in a show of remorse.

The chair umpire issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, but no further penalty followed. Musetti recovered from the situation to win the match 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, securing a place in the semi-finals where he will face Carlos Alcaraz.

Lorenzo Musetti maintains excellent clay-court form

Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti reached his first Roland-Garros semi-final after defeating Frances Tiafoe in four sets. The Italian claimed a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win in Tuesday’s quarter-final. With this result, Musetti is set to move up to No. 5 in the ATP world rankings.

Lorenzo Musetti
Lorenzo Musetti (via ATP Tour)

The 23-year-old has been in strong form during the European clay season. He is the only player this year to reach the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. Against Tiafoe, Musetti made a quick start, breaking early and saving the only break point he faced in the first set.

Tiafoe fought back in the second set with an early break that helped him level the match. That response, however, only motivated Musetti, who stepped up in the third set. He capitalized on his single break chance and held firm in a close set.

In the fourth, Musetti surged ahead with a 3-0 lead and never looked back. His consistency and court coverage left Tiafoe with few chances to recover. With a final break of serve, Musetti sealed the match and matched his best Grand Slam run, which came at Wimbledon in 2024.

Lorenzo Musetti set to meet Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal

Rising tennis star Lorenzo Musetti is set to meet Carlos Alcaraz in the showpiece semifinal of Roland Garros. The duo have met twice on clay this year, which shows no secrets in this matchup.

Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti
Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X/@alcarchive, Roland Garros)

Their first meeting came in the Monte Carlo Masters final, where Alcaraz won against an injury-plagued Musetti in three sets. It was his sixth Masters 1000 title and the first of this season.

Their second meeting came in the Italian Open semifinal. Once again, Alcaraz had a good win with a 6-3, 7-6 scoreline. However, the stage is bigger than before, as this meeting will be in a Grand Slam.

Musetti has had a transformational last 12 months. In the past year, he has made it to two Grand Slam semifinals, including this year’s Roland Garros. Moreover, he won the Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games last year. Lastly, he reached three back to back semifinals of the Masters 1000 events this year in Monte Carlo, Madrid and the Italian Open. At Monte Carlo, he played his first ever Masters 1000 final.

Also Read: (Video) Aryna Sabalenka Trolls Novak Djokovic While Dancing to Her ‘Tiger’ Song After Moving Into Roland Garros Semifinal