The score line was brutal, and the press conference told the story behind it. Lorenzo Musetti lost 6-3, 6-1 to Casper Ruud in the round of 16 of the Italian Open. The defeat carried a lot of emotion for the home player, as he has had a struggling year with injuries so far. The disappointment of not performing in front of his home crowd let him down further. The post-match press conference carried a serious, almost empty look on his face, and he provided one of the most balanced and introspective post-match assessments in recent memory while also throwing some light on his next event.
He started with an apology. “I apologize, I’m quite disappointed with the show I put on for the crowd,” he said. The problem is his left thigh, an injury that has followed him since he was forced to retire, leading two sets to love against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinal in January. That retirement came at the end of one of the best seasons of his career, and the injury has not helped since then, as Musetti pulled out of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro shortly after Melbourne, after his recovery seemed to stall. He came back to Monte Carlo, lost his first game, got going in Barcelona and Madrid, and went to Rome with the hope of the worst being over, but it was not.
Against Ruud, a two-time Roland Garros finalist, the limitations were impossible to hide. Musetti said he was afraid to put his left leg down during the game and didn’t have the strength or support from that side. “Even today, I was always afraid to put my left leg down. It was very difficult to find strength and support on that leg,” Musetti stated.
That’s not just a loss of power for a player whose entire game is based on athleticism, the movement, the one-handed backhand, the net approaches, the drop shots. It costs everything. He also revealed a detail that puts the entire clay swing in perspective. “I’ve always played a bit on one leg,” he admitted. Playing on one leg all season, every point has been managed, not freely played.
He didn’t decide to retire during the game against Norway, and that was because of the fans. Musetti has a special affinity for the Foro Italico. It was here 12 months ago that he was able to break into the top 10 for the first time. “I didn’t want to retire because I’m a bit fed up with retirements, especially in front of the home crowd,” he said. It was a decision made out of respect for the home crowd. He took a medical timeout during the match, getting through the 6-3, 6-1 defeat, but that was not enough to turn things around.
ATP Roma, Musetti: “Chiedo scusa, ma non stavo bene. E non so se giocherò il Roland Garros”https://t.co/Fnne9xfuKt
— Ubitennis (@Ubitennis) May 12, 2026
The ranking consequence is an ironically painful one. In 2025, Musetti registered a 19-4 clay court record, the first Italian to reach at least the semifinals of all three Masters 1000 clay tournaments in the same season, and picked up 2300 ranking points on the surface. He is now defending all of those points in 2026 with an injury that has hindered him from being able to emulate even a small portion of that form. The exit in Rome means he drops out of the top 10 at the very tournament that put him there.
“It hurts that I dropped out of the top 10. With so many physical problems, I wasn’t able to capitalize on perhaps my best moment. It’s a bit of a mockery because right here in Rome, I had returned to the top 10, and leaving the top 10 is not what I had wished for myself,” he said.
He didn’t give a straight answer on Roland Garros. The Italian is waiting for the results of scans in the next few days to see just how bad the injury is. Although he has not ruled out the possibility of his participation, he is doubtful about his participation in Paris.
“I don’t know. I’ll have more specific checks in the next few days. I wasn’t able to have any in-depth tests during the tournament because I played almost the entire time and tried to make up for it with the little time I had. I hope that the pain and discomfort I felt are less severe than expected and that they will allow me to be ready for Paris,” he added.
The psychological aspect is the most difficult. The 24-year-old was honest about the toll this string of injuries has taken on him, not just physically. “I’m going through a period full of injuries, something that has never happened to me in my career. It’s difficult to live with, and mentally it’s difficult to be very clear-headed and proactive in these situations.”
“Every day it seems like something is happening. We’ve tried to change certain things, but we’re struggling to find an explanation. If we already knew the solution, I probably wouldn’t be injured,” he added.
These are not the type of injuries that have a clear prognosis and a defined recovery time. They are small, persistent, and annoying. The victory against Francisco Cerundolo meant a lot to Musetti. He even had tears of joy after getting the victory against the 25th seed in straight sets. He was in constant “suffering,” and to get a win against a tough competitor was a sign of relief from the hard work he was putting in.
While Musetti recovers from the injury and gets ready for the French Open later in the month, the 23rd seed will face Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinal tomorrow on the center court.
A season that should have been defining
The worst thing about Lorenzo Musetti’s situation is the timing. He started 2026 as world No. 5 and enjoyed the best season of his career. He was supposed to make his biggest splash yet on the clay swing, facing a draw he knows well and a surface that he can handle just as well as anyone on tour. Instead, he faced a second-round exit in Indian Wells, withdrew from Miami due to a right arm problem, and bowed out of Rome in the round of 16.
His clay record in 2026 sits at 4-3, a stark contrast to where it stood twelve months ago at this same stage of the season. What makes it harder to accept is that the underlying talent has not disappeared. When Musetti has been fit and free, the level has still been there in glimpses. In Madrid, he beat Hubert Hurkacz and Tallon Griekspoor before losing to Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals, a run that showed what is possible when the body cooperates.
The main draw of Roland Garros kicks off on May 24. Musetti’s best achievement in his clay campaign was reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros last season. There is now a real question about whether he’s fit enough to compete there. When he used the term “the last hope on the red,” he was referring to Paris, and it was fitting coming from one of the most natural clay court players of his generation. Hope is all he has right now.
