As breakthrough seasons go, Lorenzo Musetti’s has been quiet but consistent.
Now up to a career-high No. 24 in the rankings, the 20-year-old Italian with a pleasing one-handed backhand says he has made big improvements this season.
“I think I’ve grown, matured as both a person and a player. I’m good during training, taking what I do in practice to the courts. It doesn’t mean I’m always successful, but the important thing is to hit the showers knowing you’ve done your best,” he told Italian newspaper Gazzetto dello Sport.
His climb has been even more important because it followed a downward slide in the second half of 2021, which led to suggestions that he should change his team. But Musetti has stuck with his coach, Simone Tartarini, and turned around his form.
“Tartarini, I always say, is someone who has known me since I was a child,” he said. “He’s someone who has my full confidence. If one day we decide it would be good to have an extra person on my team, we will. But for now it’s good as it is.”