Lorenzo Musetti was not in the mood for speculation when he addressed the press following his Roland Garros match. Just minutes after qualifying for the French Open semifinals for the first time in his life, the Italian tennis star was questioned regarding a possible showdown against Carlos Alcaraz.
Taken aback by the premature assumption, Musetti didn’t hold back, calling the question “really disrespectful” to both players still competing.
Lorenzo Musetti Advanced to His Maiden Semifinals in Paris
The 23-year-old is having his breakthrough tournament at the 2025 French Open, his fifth at the clay-court Grand Slam. Seeded eighth, Musetti has dominated through the tournament, toppling the likes of Yannick Hanfmann, Daniel Elahi Galán, Mariano Navone, and 10th seed Holger Rune to the quarterfinals.
There, he defeated 15th seed Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach his first semifinal in Paris. Quite evidently, rumors went to a possible encounter with defending champion Alcaraz, who was then still fighting against 12th seed Tommy Paul in their quarterfinal encounter.
In his post-match press conference, one journalist got ahead of himself, inquiring about how he would prepare for a rematch with the defending champion. The reporter also referenced the Monte Carlo match in April, which ended in a three-set win for Alcaraz. It led to a visibly perplexed and frustrated Musetti answering, “Already?”
The question not only surprised the 23-year-old but also irritated him. He did not hesitate to show his dissatisfaction, stating, “Honestly, I found [it] really disrespectful for Tommy, for the ones who they play to have a question already about the semifinals. There’s a match to play and honestly I don’t want to answer on this question.”
Ironically, not long after the press conference, Alcaraz confirmed his place in the semifinals with a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 win over Paul. Thus, the Spaniard set up the seventh meeting with Musetti, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 5-1.
Musetti Says Family Life Inspires His Rise After Reaching French Open Semifinal
During his on-court interview, Musetti disclosed that the arrival of his son Ludovico with his girlfriend Veronica Confalonieri was the key moment, pushing him to become a role model for his son and youngsters all over the globe.
“Having a family is a really big responsibility. I want to be an example for my son. Not just for my son, for the fans, for kids that dream of becoming tennis players. When I was a kid I was one of them,” Musetti said. “I was looking the same at their age. I wanna be an example. I put some things in order off court.”
“There’s a lot to do still. But there’s still room for improvement. Really really happy to be in the semis for the first time,” he added.
