Clay paved Lorenzo Musetti's path towards Turin, but hard road ahead is no fast lane

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Clay paved Lorenzo Musetti's path, but hard road ahead is no fast lane to Turin

Italian hopes to join likely qualifier Jannik Sinner at Nitto ATP Finals, but much will depend on his run home on hard courts

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Lorenzo Musetti is hoping to debut at the Nitto ATP Finals this year in Turin. By ATP Staff

Lorenzo Musetti has played his way into the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time this season with a modern Italian blend of flair and power. While his breakthrough success has gone slightly under the radar, with countryman Jannik Sinner commanding much of the attention around the tennis world, Musetti could end up sharing the stage with the World No. 1 in their home nation this November at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Currently sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Musetti is in a strong position to earn his debut at November's prestigious year-end event. While he is still seeking his first tour-level singles title since he won a pair in 2022, the Italian has made the semi-finals this season at Roland Garros and at all three clay-court ATP Masters 1000s in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, including a runner-up finish in Monaco. His next challenge is to continue to rack up points on the North American hard courts.

"Definitely [Turin] is my biggest goal," Musetti told ATPTour.com. "But of course I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. We are halfway through the season, so definitely there’s many, many points to catch. And of course here in the North American swing there are many with the two Masters 1000s and the US Open. So definitely one of my goals is to be really consistent and try to get as many points as possible."

Here's the challenge for Musetti: He put himself into Turin contention by going 19-4 on clay this season. But staying within the cut will depend on how he finishes the season on hard, where he owns a modest 6-5 record on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Additionally, before the hard-court swing, Musetti suffered a setback with a first-round exit at Wimbledon, where he was beaten in four sets by Nikoloz Basilashvili. After contracting a virus two days before the grass-court major, he was unable to match his semi-final run from 2024 at the All England Club.

"I lost almost three kilos, so I was not in great shape," Musetti explained. "But of course I was there, I wanted to try to have a chance, but I didn’t have the energy and the strength to play as I can."

He was feeling much better about his body entering the hard-court swing, though a defeat to Cameron Norrie in Washington means he will enter Toronto on a three-match losing streak, dating back to his Roland Garros semi-final against eventual champ Carlos Alcaraz.

Musetti's artful game is tailor-made for the clay, but his decision to play Washington shows his desire to improve on hard courts. On the faster surfaces, he is still learning to cope with the added pressure on his one-handed backhand, which at its best is both a dangerous weapon and an impenetrable shield.

"When I feel the ball, when I play well, I can stay [in extended backhand-to-backhand exchanges]. I think that’s not a disadvantage for me," he said, before explaining the challenges. "On clay you have a little bit more time to defend yourself and to recover space. Here on hard courts or grass, the ball is coming faster and you have to be quicker. Especially on the return side, there’s many disadvantages, I would say, if you play one‑handed backhand."

Working with Musetti on those adjustments is longtime coach Simone Tartarini. Since Musetti was eight years old, his coach has guided him on and off the court to become the player and man he is today.

"I think because we really followed each other not just in terms of connection, but also in terms of opinions for life, for tennis, for many, many things," Musetti explained. "Our relationship is growing so much during our time together and we mature and we grow with each other during our process."

Tartarini helped Musetti reach a career-high of No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings this June. If he can stay among the Top 8 in the PIF ATP Race To Turin in a few months' time, their partnership could grace the biggest stage in Italian tennis at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Part of a tennis boom in their home nation, Musetti is among seven of his countrymen in the ATP's Top 50.

"We have really great investments by the Italian federation, by the ones who host the tournaments in Italy," he said. "We have many different options for every level. We have many Futures, many Challengers, many ATPs — not a Slam but of course the ATP Finals and a really great Masters 1000 [Rome].

"So we have everything a junior or a tennis player needs to play and to try to become a professional tennis player. Also the federation invests money in junior programs to try to get all the financial resources that the player needs... These kind of investments, I think they are paying off."

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