Player Features
Musetti eyes clay revival after injury frustration: ‘The results will arrive’
World No. 9 has competed in simply three occasions since Australian Open QF retirement
April 22, 2026
Mutua Madrid Open
Lorenzo Musetti carries out his media day actions on Tuesday in Madrid.
By Jerome Coombe
Lorenzo Musetti has endured his share of misfortune with accidents this season, however the Italian is hopeful {that a} return to the Mutua Madrid Open can reignite his momentum.
After a heartbreaking retirement on the Australian Open in January — the place he led Novak Djokovic by two units within the quarter-finals — Musetti has competed in simply three tournaments. The 24-year-old suffered opening-round exits in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo earlier than displaying encouraging indicators with a quarter-final run in Barcelona.
“I have been dealing with some injuries and issues after the Australian Open, so I needed to take a little bit more time to recover and be as healthy as possible,” Musetti advised ATP Media forward of his run on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion in Madrid. “I additionally wanted matches and tournaments to seek out once more the proper form on court docket, particularly in a match.
“Here we are in Madrid with nice memories from last year. I’m feeling good in terms of health, so I’m looking forward to starting the tournament.”
Those recollections are vital. Musetti loved a standout clay-court season in 2025, compiling a 19-4 file on the floor, in response to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He turned the primary Italian to achieve at the very least the semi-finals in any respect three Masters 1000 clay occasions (Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome), in addition to Roland Garros, in the identical 12 months, which proved to be the muse of a terrific total marketing campaign that resulted in a debut look on the Nitto ATP Finals.
While his early loss in Monte-Carlo this 12 months to house favorite Valentin Vacherot was a setback, Musetti confirmed encouraging indicators in Barcelona. With victories over Martin Landaluce and Corentin Moutet, the 24-year-old managed to construct some rhythm forward of his return to Madrid, the place he reached the semi-finals final 12 months.
“It was, for sure, better than the others,” Musetti, the No. 9 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, stated with a smile when requested about his run to the Barcelona quarter-finals final week. “The most important thing is that I played three matches with the right mentality. I practised very well throughout the month and I know that the results will arrive.”
Match sharpness stays important, however so too is managing his bodily situation — a steadiness Musetti seems to be rediscovering. His motion in Barcelona, significantly throughout a hard-fought contest in opposition to the tough left-hander Moutet, prompt progress.
Confidence can be starting to return. Despite the frustration in Monte-Carlo, Musetti recognises the significance of persistence whereas he works his approach again to high kind.
“I didn’t play matches for more than two months, so it was pretty tough for me to enter Monte-Carlo without any matches on clay,” Musetti stated. “I needed some time to adapt myself, my brain and body, to accept certain moments of the match. It’s really tough to replicate those moments in practice.”
Seeded sixth in Madrid, Musetti will open his marketing campaign in opposition to Hubert Hurkacz, aiming to rediscover the extent that he carried by way of a breakthrough clay swing final season.
