Musetti joins exclusive list with Djokovic and Nadal upon reaching Roland Garros semifinals

As Roland Garros moves into the final stages, Lorenzo Musetti has become the first player to secure a spot in the semifinals following his victory over American Frances Tiafoe. This milestone marks not only Musetti’s first appearance in the French Open semifinals but also sees him join an elite club with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Seeded eighth, Musetti defeated 15th seed Tiafoe in four sets, winning 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier. The match was defined by challenging windy conditions that tested both players.

At just 23 years and 83 days old, Musetti is now the third-youngest player since 1990 to reach the semifinals of all three clay Masters events, followed by a semifinal run at Roland Garros in the same season. The only younger players to achieve this feat are Nadal and Djokovic.

Earlier in the season, the Italian made it to the finals of the Monte–Carlo Masters, where he was defeated by Alcaraz, and advanced to the semifinals in both the Madrid and Rome Masters tournaments.

Musetti makes Italian tennis history

Italian tennis is on a high, with Jannik Sinner leading the ATP rankings at World No. 1 and Musetti breaking into the top 10, currently ranked seventh. The nation also boasts a crop of rising stars, including Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Arnaldi, and Matteo Gigante.

see also

Carlos Alcaraz aims to match Rafael Nadal’s milestone after Roland Garros win vs Dzumhur

With his progression to the Roland Garros semifinals, Musetti has become the third Italian in the Open Era to reach Grand Slam semifinals on multiple surfaces, joining the ranks of fellow Italians Sinner and Matteo Berrettini.

Musetti reflects on his victory

Musetti remarked on the challenging windy conditions, which made accurate ball striking difficult. Nonetheless, he emphasized his ability to summon extra energy to clinch the pivotal third set and ultimately seal the match in the fourth.

“It was so windy, and it was really difficult to manage to hit the ball properly,” Musetti explained. “Especially the third set, it was really a fight. It was not easy to get a break. Even if I was a little bit tired and it was tough for me there, but I found the extra energy to win this [third] set and the last set was probably the best set of this match”.