Lorenzo Musetti might miss the Australian Open after getting injured during a practice match with Alexander Zverev. The Italian player had to stop mid-match and call for medical help.
This couldn’t come at a worse time for Musetti.
He just wrapped up a pretty rough start to 2026 at the Hong Kong Open, where he lost in the final to Alexander Bublik. The score was 6-7, 3-6, and Musetti could only break serve once during the entire match.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Musetti | 23 | 1,290 | 11 - 15 |
That loss marked his seventh straight final defeat – which is honestly brutal for any player to deal with.
The streak’s been really tough on him mentally. He was actually crying after losing the 2025 Chengdu Open final, where he’d been up match point twice but couldn’t close it out.
Instead of playing warmup tournaments in Adelaide or Auckland, Musetti flew straight to Melbourne for an exhibition match with Zverev. The German player was last year’s Australian Open runner-up, so it seemed like good preparation.
The Match Goes Wrong
Things started well enough. Both guys were putting on a show in the first set, with Musetti using his variety to give Zverev problems. That’s pretty typical – Musetti actually leads their head-to-head 3-2.
Zverev managed to edge the opening set 9-7 in a tiebreaker after more than an hour of great tennis. The crowd was definitely enjoying themselves and looking forward to set two.
Then everything went sideways.
Musetti suddenly couldn’t continue. A physio rushed onto the court while he laid down, clearly in pain. It looked like he was having issues with his glutes – either pain or stiffness that made it impossible to keep playing.
With the Australian Open starting Sunday, Musetti made the smart call to retire from the exhibition. Zverev was understanding about the whole situation and had some encouraging words for him afterward.
Whether this cautious decision will actually help him be ready for the main tournament is anyone’s guess right now.
The ATP Tour would definitely miss one of its most exciting players if Musetti can’t make it. His style is just fun to watch, even when he’s struggling with finals.
Bad Blood Between These Two
Zverev and Musetti have some history that makes this situation a bit awkward.
At the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, Musetti beat Zverev 7-6, 6-4 in what was pretty convincing fashion. The Italian played smarter tennis when it mattered most and was more solid throughout.
Zverev wasn’t exactly gracious afterward.
He basically called Musetti’s style too defensive and complained that the conditions favored that kind of play over his own "attacking" game. A lot of people found those comments pretty disrespectful.
The thing is, Zverev’s known for being overly cautious himself, especially at Grand Slams. Even Roger Federer has said he needs to trust himself more and stop waiting for tournaments to come to him.
Renee Stubbs didn’t hold back when she heard Zverev’s comments. The former coach called him a "pu**y" and said he was being hypocritical given his own problems with playing too conservatively.
It’s hard to argue with that assessment when you look at Zverev’s Grand Slam record. He’s made three finals but never gotten over the line, and being defensive against guys like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner probably isn’t the answer.
If anything, his chances of winning a first major seem to be getting slimmer as those two keep raising the bar higher and higher.
For now though, the focus is on whether Musetti can recover in time for Sunday. Australian Open organizers and tennis fans are definitely hoping he can make it work.
