WATCH: Lorenzo Musetti doubtful for Australian Open after exhibition retirement
NewsTuesday, 13 January 2026 at 19:30
Lorenzo Musetti could miss the season's opening Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open after being unable to complete an exhibition with Alexander Zverev.
The Italian's first tournament of the year ended in a final appearance at the 2026 Hong Kong Open. He lost 6-7, 3-6 against Alexander Bublik, only managing to break his opponent's serve once in the contest.
That was Musetti's seventh consecutive defeat in a singles final, an utterly brutal record. His lengthy streak included crying after the 2025 Chengdu Open final because of missing two match points to secure the title.
Rather than play at the 2026 Adelaide International or the 2026 ASB Classic, Musetti flew to Melbourne for the Australian Open's first week and participated in an exhibition with last year's runner-up, Alexander Zverev.
Both men played much entertaining tennis in the opening set. Zverev has a losing 2-3 head-to-head record against Musetti, and the 23-year-old showed why that is by troubling the German with his variety.
After a very tight battle, Zverev took the opening set 9-7 on a tiebreak. The packed stadium was undoubtedly looking forward to how the second was going to unfold after watching so much great shot-making for over an hour.
Unfortunately, Musetti could not continue. A physio came to the court and inspected him while he lay down. The 2025 French Open semifinalist seemed to be struggling with some pain and/or stiffness in his glutes.
Musetti understandably decided to be cautious and not play any further, with the Australian Open main draw starting on Sunday. Zverev said some nice words to him after the Italian informed him of the decision.
Hopefully, one of the ATP Tour's most watchable players will be fit for the Australian Open. Making the cautious and correct decision to retire against Zverev might be what ensures he is ready, but that cannot be guaranteed at this stage.
Alexander Zverev was slammed for what he said about Lorenzo Musetti after a match last year
At the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, Lorenzo Musetti overcame Alexander Zverev 7-6, 6-4. He was more solid than the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and played smarter tennis in the most pivotal moments.
Many found Zverev's words about Musetti afterward disrespectful. He claimed that his younger opponent uses a defensive style and that the conditions made it difficult for an attack-minded player like himself to succeed.
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Those comments were met with much ridicule, since Zverev is well known for being overly defensive on the biggest stages. Figures like Roger Federer have said that he needs to trust himself more and not wait for Grand Slams to come to him.
Renee Stubbs's remarks about Musetti being defensive were much more blunt. She blasted Zverev as a "pu**y" and described how he was a hypocrite for saying that without reflecting on his failings with being too cautious.
Zverev's hopes of winning a maiden Grand Slam feel even slimmer than a few years ago, given Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's levels, and being conservative against them at Grand Slams almost certainly will not work.
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