Musetti mutes the chaos

That toolbox – replete with a versatile one-handed backhand and touch to die for – has been more curse than blessing at times for Musetti. The weapons weren’t the problem; how to employ them was. 

Those days are ending. Now ranked at a career-high No.7, Musetti and his longtime coach Simone Tartarini have put their emphasis on structuring simpler tactics that enable the Italian to wave his magic wand in a more coherent manner. 

As he said in an on-court interview with Mats Wilander this week in Paris, Musetti is in the process of extracting ‘order’ from his ‘chaos.’

“I think for someone who has my weapons, I have so many choices,” Musetti said on Friday after toppling Argentina’s Mariano Navone in four sets. “It's even easier sometimes to do the wrong one. 

“I think this process takes time, especially for my personality and how I am on the court. That's why I think all the [work] is not finished yet. I can play much more with a lot of clear ideas of what I have to do on court. In the last few months I think there's been a step forward for that.” 

His coach told rolandgarros.com that maturity on and off the court is helping propel the Italian to his new status. But added that the process is far from complete. 

“This maturity has allowed him to gain confidence in himself and his abilities, bringing more structure into his life, which is now reflecting on the court,” Tartarini said via text. “He’s now better able to manage his qualities without overusing them.

“That said, it’s still a growth process that will take more time, but I’m confident.”

Musetti, who became a father to baby boy Ludovico last March and is now expecting a second child with his girlfriend Veronica, is growing on and off the court these days. 

“It changed a lot honestly,” Musetti said of fatherhood. “I have to say that I was pretty scared when Veronica got pregnant [for the first time]. During the pregnancy was probably the worst moment because I had so many thoughts on how it's going to be, how I could manage to be a great father, an example, not just on the court but off the court.”

If we use his tennis as a gauge, Musetti has been a shining example. 

The last time the 23-year-old played in Paris he ended up on the podium, accepting the bronze medal as he became the first Italian tennis player to win an Olympic medal in 100 years. That performance came on the heels of Musetti’s Grand Slam breakout at Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals last July. 

In 2025 the Italian remains a force on the clay. He reached his first Masters 1000 final at Monte-Carlo, before attaining subsequent semi-final results at Madrid and Rome. 

For those who haven’t received the memo, Musetti is one of the five best clay-courters in the world at the moment. 

Dating back to last July, he has won 25 of 30 matches on the dirt. He made his top 10 debut four weeks ago, and entered this year’s Roland-Garros draw with the spotlight focused firmly on him. 

“Musetti has been impressive, he’s got a lot of momentum and he could go deep at Roland-Garros,” two-time champion Jim Courier said. “There’s a lot to like about him.”

Fans agree. They were packed into Court 4 to watch him practise on Saturday morning, the Italian belting groundstrokes with a hitting partner as fans squirmed into position to snap pictures. 

Does Musetti feel the weight of new expectations? 

“Yes, but I feel it in a positive way,” he said. “I am approaching the tournaments with happy and proud vibes. 

“There have been many great results I had this month, so of course I feel in a good shape, in the best period of my life. I think I have to also take all this stuff and try to enjoy when I'm stepping on court. That's what I'm trying to do.”

With a night session showdown with Dane Holger Rune looming on Sunday, Musetti is taking one step at a time, but is unafraid to admit that his expectations – like his ranking – are further down the horizon than they used to be. 

“I go here with ambition to go forward and to try to lift the trophy,” he said. “I think that’s the mentality that a top player needs to have.”