憑藉大膽投籃的天賦、快速上升的排名和越來越多的重要勝利，洛倫佐·穆塞蒂越來越受到球迷和讚助商的歡迎。
這位來自意大利的 19 歲球員在 2020 年末開始了他的排名飆升，並在 2021 年繼續上升，成為目前 ATP 前 100 名中僅有的兩名青少年之一。
在法庭上
穆塞蒂將在獲得男單冠軍三年後抵達 2022 年澳大利亞網球公開賽，這一結果幫助他獲得了青少年世界第一的排名。
儘管 COVID-19 大流行威脅到他的進步，因為他瞄準了職業巡迴賽，但他充分利用了這項運動的暫停，解釋說：“我做了很多工作，尤其是在身體方面。我增加了很多肌肉和體重。我認為這件事給了我很大的力量，讓我在這個級別上競爭。”
網球重啟後，穆塞蒂在2020年羅馬大師賽上接受了資格賽外卡，一路擊敗了斯坦·瓦林卡和錦織圭，一路殺入正賽第三輪。隨後，他在意大利弗利贏得了他的第一個 ATP 挑戰者冠軍頭銜，接下來他在撒丁島打入了他的第一個 ATP 半決賽。
在短短五週的時間裡，他的排名從第 249 位下降到了第 123 位。
他在 2021 年初進入阿卡普爾科 ATP 500 錦標賽的半決賽，進入前 100 名——先後擊敗了 Diego Schwartzman、Frances Tiafoe 和 Grigor Dimitrov——並在上半賽季以 30-16 的成績再次有效地將他的排名減半。
那場比賽以在法網首次亮相的第四輪比賽達到高潮。在他的身體最終背叛了他之前，他甚至在菲利普夏特里爾球場以兩盤對愛領先世界第一諾瓦克·德約科維奇。
雖然隨著賽季的繼續，他的進步放緩，但穆塞蒂確實在 9 月達到了職業生涯最高的第 57 位。
值得注意的數據
穆塞蒂在 2020 年羅馬大師賽上擊敗三屆大滿貫冠軍瓦林卡的原因之一？
這是這位年輕的意大利人首次獲得巡迴賽級別的勝利。
X因子
說穆塞蒂有天賦是輕描淡寫的。 （按：太輕描淡寫）
“我認為我的比賽風格，有點復古，”他解釋說，也許是對他的單手反手和網前不可思議的雙手點頭。
穆塞蒂在法網第三輪戰勝馬可·切奇納託的比賽中贏得了一些荒謬的勝利，讓法國球迷站了起來。
TennisTV 團隊甚至覺得有必要製作一段視頻，完全獻給他在阿卡普爾科的投籃能力。
穆塞蒂的ATP 檔案顯示，“如果他不是網球運動員，他就會成為一名演員”，很明顯，他喜歡在球迷面前表演的奇觀，球迷們為他的賽內和勝利後的慶祝活動歡呼雀躍。
場外
Musetti 很快就體現了國際網球運動員的迷人生活方式。
他現在居住在蒙特卡洛，與勞力士、Bolon 眼鏡和起亞意大利有合作關係，甚至在為意大利版Esquire做模特時登上了雜誌封面。
但這位新興明星還有更多層次，他重視教育，並於 2021 年年中完成了他的高中學業。
“復古”描述了他的生活態度以及他的演奏風格；教練 Simone Tartarini 透露，熱愛音樂的 Musetti 購買了一個轉盤，並選擇了 70 年代和 80 年代的黑膠唱片。
Musetti 說他並不真正喜歡電子遊戲——他沒有遊戲機——並表示他永遠不會開設 TikTok 賬戶。他也沒有出現在推特上。
但他在 Instagram 上很活躍，而且他的賬號也很火爆；6 月初，穆塞蒂感謝粉絲幫助他積累了 100,000 名追隨者，這一數字已上升至 172K。
穆塞蒂的左三頭肌上也有紋身，代表“我的心跳被球拍刺穿”。
他說…
“我認為青少年職業對我幫助很大。我總是帶著壓力打球，尤其是當我贏得澳網青少年賽的時候。我的意思是，來自媒體和其他事物的壓力（已經）增長了很多。我從小就開始承受壓力。”
關於在羅蘭加洛斯與德約科維奇的第四輪會面：“我童年所做的所有犧牲和努力現在都變成了現實。所以我只是享受這一刻，我會盡力做到最好。”
專家說...
“他絕對是我會認真對待的競爭對手，也是未來幾年將挑戰我的球員。我看到他處於巔峰狀態。”
-斯特凡諾斯·西西帕斯
With a flair for audacious shot-making, a fast-rising ranking and a growing list of significant wins, Lorenzo Musetti is increasingly popular with both fans and sponsors.
The 19-year-old from Italy began his surge up the rankings in late 2020 and continued that in 2021, becoming one of just two teenagers currently inside the ATP top 100.
On court
Musetti will arrive at Australian Open 2022 three years on from capturing the boys’ singles title, a result which helped him secure the junior world No.1 ranking.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to stall his progress as he targeted the pro tour, he used the sport’s pause to full advantage, explaining: “I worked a lot, especially on the physical part. I gained a lot of muscle and weight. I think this thing gave me a lot of power, strength to compete at this level.”
When tennis resumed, Musetti accepted a qualifying wildcard at the 2020 Rome Masters and took it all the way to the third round of the main draw, beating Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori along the way. He then won his first ATP Challenger title in Forli, Italy and next advanced to his first ATP semifinal in Sardinia.
In the space of just five weeks, he’d slashed his ranking from 249th to 123rd.
He cracked the top 100 in early 2021 by reaching the semifinals of the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco – successively upsetting Diego Schwartzman, Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov – and went 30-16 in the first half of the season to effectively halve his ranking again.
That run culminated with a fourth-round appearance on debut at Roland Garros; he even led world No.1 Novak Djokovic by two-sets-to-love at Court Philippe Chatrier before his body eventually betrayed him.
While his progress slowed as the season continued, Musetti did peak at a career-high ranking of No.57 in September.
Notable stat
One reason Musetti’s defeat of three-time major champion Wawrinka at the 2020 Rome Masters turned heads?
It was the young Italian’s first ever tour-level win.
X-factor
To say Musetti has flair is a significant understatement.
“I think my game style, it’s a little bit retro,” he explained, perhaps a nod to his one-handed backhand and incredible hands at the net.
Musetti had French fans on their feet when he pulled off some absurd winners in his third-round Roland Garros victory over Marco Cecchinato.
And the TennisTV team even felt compelled to produce a video entirely dedicated to his shot-making prowess in Acapulco.
Musetti’s ATP profile reveals that “if he wasn't a tennis player, he would be an actor” and it is clear he embraces the spectacle of performing in front of fans, who lap up his in-match and post-victory celebrations.
Off court
It hasn’t taken Musetti long to embody the glamorous lifestyle of an international tennis player.
He now resides in Monte Carlo, has partnerships with Rolex, Bolon eyewear and Kia Italy, and even landed a magazine cover when he modelled for the Italian edition of Esquire.
But there are many more layers to the emerging star, who values education and completed his high school studies in mid 2021.
“Retro” describes his approach to life as well as his playing style; coach Simone Tartarini revealed that the music-loving Musetti purchased a turntable and opts for vinyls from the 70s and 80s.
Musetti said he doesn’t really like video games – he doesn’t own a gaming console – and has said he would never open a TikTok account. He also has no presence on Twitter.
But he is active on Instagram, and his account is flourishing; in early June Musetti thanked fans for helping him amass 100,000 followers, a number which has since risen to 172K.
Musetti also has a tattoo on his left tricep, which represents “my heartbeat pierced by a racket”.
He said…
“I think the juniors career helped me a lot. I was always playing with pressure, especially when I won the Australian Open juniors. I mean, the pressure from media and from other things (has) grown a lot. I started to manage the pressure when I was young.”
On setting up his fourth-round meeting with Djokovic at Roland Garros: “All the sacrifice and hard work I did in the childhood became reality now. So I'm just enjoying the moment and I will try to do my best.”
Experts are saying...
"He's definitely a competitor that I will take seriously and a player that will be challenging me in the next couple of years. I see him at the top."
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
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