“I Was Scared,” Lorenzo Musetti Reveals Why He Faced Criticism After Becoming a Father

Lorenzo Musetti is in Rome to bid for his first title of the season, after failing to do so at the Monte Carlo Masters.

“I Was Scared,” Lorenzo Musetti Reveals Why He Faced Criticism After Becoming a Father

Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X/We Are Tennis)

Lorenzo Musetti became a father for the first time last year. He and his girlfriend, Veronica Confalonieri, welcomed their son, Ludovico, on the 15th of March.

At that time, the Italian tennis ace was about to turn 22 years old and because of his age, he was criticized. Musetti is in Rome and is gearing up for the Italian Open. Ahead of his first-round match against Otto Virtanen, he made his feelings known on fatherhood, saying his becoming a father has made him more mature, happier, and more aware of everything around him.

I remember that when I became a father last year, in March, many people criticized me because of my age. I have to admit that I was a little scared about how I was going to handle it and at first, I struggled, but I feel like for months now we have found a perfect balance.

Lorenzo Musetti said at the press conference

He credited fatherhood for his recent performances. This season, Musetti reached a Masters 1000 final for the first time at the Monte Carlo Masters. He scheduled a clash with four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and won the first set. But the Spaniard made an emphatic comeback to take home his career’s first title in The Principality.

Lorenzo Musetti makes his feelings known on matches that changed his career

Last year, after a string of poor results at the start of the season, Lorenzo Musetti played in multiple Challenger tournaments to find his form. He admitted that playing those tournaments helped him reset and since then, he started displaying a good level of tennis.

Lorenzo Musetti
Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

I lost to [Novak] Djokovic in five sets at Roland Garros, and the grass court swing was spectacular. Being a semifinalist at Wimbledon and the Olympics made me rediscover myself and be aware that I could compete at that level. From then on, I worked even harder.

Lorenzo Musetti said at the press conference

Musetti lost to the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the third round of the French Open. At Wimbledon, he again faced eventual finalist Djokovic but this time, the youngster was defeated in straight sets.

After losing the Croatia Open final to Francisco Cerundolo in three sets, Musetti again met the Serbian great, this time, in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, the result of which again came out against his favor as Musetti lost the match in straight sets. Djokovic then went on to take home his career’s first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Lorenzo Musetti is projected to face Carlos Alcaraz at the Italian Open

Carlos Alcaraz leads 4-1 in the head-to-head record against Lorenzo Musetti, registering that lone defeat in their first encounter in the 2022 Hamburg European Open. The 23-year-old suffered an injury during the final of the Monte Carlo Masters after which he withdrew from the Barcelona Open.

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

He could once again set up a clash with the World No.3 if both of them reach the semifinal of the Italian Open. Neither of them has won the title in the third Masters 1000 of the season on clay. But before that, Musetti could run into Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round and Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.

The Russian lifted the title in 2023 and since then, he failed to win another. Zverev, on the other hand, is a two-time champion and will also enter the tournament as the defending champion. In the final, the home favorite could face another home favorite: Jannik Sinner. The Italian Open is Sinner’s second tournament of the season following the Australian Open because of the doping ban.

Also read: Victoria Azarenka Demands More Integrity from Anti-Doping Authorities Amid the Case of Jannik Sinner