When asked to share his goal for 2024 during an on-court interview at January’s Adelaide International, Lorenzo Musetti responded, “Hopefully I can be a great father.”
Seven months after entering the world of parenthood, I checked in for an assessment.
“You have to ask the mother, not myself,” the soft-spoken 22-year-old laughs in Frankfurt.
In March, the ATP’s No. 2-ranked Italian and his partner Veronica Confalonieri welcomed a boy named Ludovico. Musetti had trepidations going into the birth, yet nothing can fully prepare a person when the life-changing experience arrives. By the time his beautiful baby was handed over, any fears that previously surfaced instantly flew out the window.
“I was pretty scared of everything, honestly. Especially when he was just a newborn. I was really scared of holding him,” he recounts. “And then, when the nurse (gave) me him for the first time, I was holding him in a really natural way.
“It was surprising.”
At that point, Musetti was 5-8 on the young season. Ups and downs continued throughout the next two months as the intelligent competitor adjusted to his new role, at one stage stepping down to play a pair of ATP Challenger events that kept him on home soil for two extra tournament weeks. Relishing bonding time to be the hands-on parent all children deserve, Musetti wants to be involved with the everyday tasks.
“I really like to put asleep, Ludovico, even if sometimes it can last really long and you have to be really patient,” Musetti says. “The first time that I changed him, he peed himself when I was changing the diapers. We were like this (motions moving away) to avoid to be hit by his pee. It was really funny and also something that you remember with happiness.”
Once Roland Garros rolled around, Musetti the player began to turn a corner. After handily defeating Gael Monfils in the second round, he was a set away from knocking off Novak Djokovic. The two produced a breathtaking display over four hours and 29 minutes, before the legendary Serbian pulled away to advance at 3:07 a.m.—the latest finish in tournament history.
That valiant effort was followed up by a remarkable grass-court swing. Musetti notably backed up a semifinal in Stuttgart and runner-up finish at Queen’s Club by reaching his first major semifinal at Wimbledon, where he posted two five-set wins—including over Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. His 12 grass wins accounted for double his career total on the surface prior to 2024.
While the Carrara native could always turn to his family for inspiration, it was Ludovico who provided him with an even deeper sense of purpose. Beyond playing for more than just himself, Musetti believes his desire to mature as a father has—in its own special way—acted as a catalyst to his growth on the court.
“The birth of my son gave me a lot of responsibility on the Lorenzo player, not just of the figure of the father. So, definitely in that area, I think that’s where I was improving the most,” he says. “Even if I think I have to do more, that will bring me probably even more results.”
More defining moments followed. After reaching the clay-court final in Umag, Musetti returned to Stade Roland Garros for the Paris Olympics. He flourished without dropping a set on his way to the medal rounds, ousting Tokyo Olympic champion and French Open finalist Alexander Zverev in the last eight.
Though Djokovic beat him for the fourth time this year, the artist wielding a one-handed backhand bounced back with a three-set victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to land on the podium with bronze.
Later, at the US Open, Musetti yanked off his shirt and roared in delight after saving two match points to win a marathon second-round match over Miomir Kecmanovic. As the overflowing Court 5 crowd cleared, the No. 18 seed ran over to celebrate with mom Sabrina and another attendee dear to his heart, Ludovico.
“I’m really, really close to my family, to what we created. When I have the chance to bring with me all the family, I like to do so,” Musetti shares. “These (eight) months, they were going really fast and I saw a lot of change in him.
“I could only think about the future, when he will start to walk, when he starts to talk and when he will start to understand what I’m doing for living.”
As Musetti eagerly awaits to see what comes next, there’s one job left to finish before turning the page. Beginning Thursday, he looks to help Italy successfully defend its Davis Cup title in Malaga when the Jannik Sinner-led squad faces off against Argentina. The safest bet of this team competition is that Musetti’s family will be with him every step of the way.
