Who is Lorenzo Musetti: his partner, his son, the one-handed backhand

Italy seems to have a player to pull out of the hat at every tournament. This year they have always brought at least one player or two players in the case of doubles to a semifinal of a Slam tournament and even beyond given Sinner’s victory in Australia and Jasmine Paolini’s final in Paris, in addition to all the doubles placings. The man of the day for the semifinal at Wimbledon is Lorenzo Musetti who beat the American Taylor Fritz in the fifth set (3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1), in front of Her Majesty Queen Camilla, and will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinal on Friday 12 July. For the tennis player from Carrara it is the first Slam semifinal of his career in a season in which however he has played two finals on grass which seems to have become his great friend.

“I still haven’t realized what I’ve done. Thanks to the public and all the Italian fans who were here to support me” he said after the match. “I had never played on this court, this wonderful stadium, and it was an honor. Taylor and I played a fantastic match, I’m really happy for my first semifinal here. I saved the best for the fifth set. I didn’t start very well, he was in control of the game with his serve, then I had a good reaction in the second set and from there I changed my attitude. That’s what the
difference, I hope now that on Friday I will still have something to say.”

For years, despite being very young, born in 2002, he has been considered the most talented of the Italian tennis players, the only one to hit a one-handed backhand, which recalls another era of tennis. He learned that tennis playing with his father, who works in the marble sector, in his grandmother’s basement and for years, since 2010, his coach has been Simone Tartarini. One thing he rarely gives up is the cooking of his aforementioned grandmother Maria, even if she knows the sacrifice. From the province of Carrara his mother Sabrina, an employee, took him to Liguria, to La Spezia, to train when it was seen that his talent was there. Pure talent expressed already as a boy: at 16 he won the Australian Open Juniores and played in the final of the US Open in his category.

Tartarini told Tirreno: «We both grew up together. Since he was 8 years old, Lorenzo had excellent technical skills. He was good at not suffering, as happened to others, the transition from youth competitions to big-time tennis. Off the court, we share a passion for quality music: from the Rolling Stones, to Lucio Battisti, Mina, Deep Purple and Ligabue».

“The dictionary is the only place where the word ‘success’ comes before ‘sweat'”, is a phrase of his that reminds one of a teacher. In 2021, he graduated from high school with a degree in linguistics. In the years following his diploma, he struggled the most to show his worth on the field: he never lacked class, sometimes continuity, character, the ability to not get discouraged if the shot was not perfect. Winning the Davis Cup with Italy was certainly a turning point, but above all, fatherhood was.

In London he is accompanied by his partner Veronica Confalonieri and little Ludovico, born on March 15, 2024. She describes Musetti as “a very sensitive boy, with a huge heart”. A sensitivity that matures with fatherhood. “At the beginning, the pregnancy was destabilizing news for both of us: we talked about a baby, but it arrived suddenly, we didn’t expect it so soon. As shocked as we were, we never hesitated. Never thought about making choices other than having it. Lorenzo has finally taken responsibility, I’ve really seen him change gear. He felt he had to grow up for our son and he’s succeeding. I’m happy”, she told Corriere della Sera. In Bologna, in the Davis Cup, last September, Musetti told the whole team about the baby on the way and this would have somehow unblocked him.