After a heartbreaking end to his Australian Open campaign, Lorenzo Musetti is set for an extended spell on the sidelines, with the Italian confirming that he will miss both the Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro tournaments this month.
It is another unfortunate injury setback for Musetti, who had recently cracked the ATP top five rankings for the first time and was showcasing arguably the best tennis of his career on a hard court. The 22-year-old will now be forced to take time away from competition due to a right leg injury.
Musetti Confirms Withdrawal
In a statement shared on social media, Musetti confirmed the news:
“After the results of my medical examinations and tests, my team and I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming tournaments in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. My focus right now is on my rehabilitation so I can return to the court. Thank you to everyone for their support and hope to see you soon.”
After finishing the 2025 season inside the top eight of the rankings for the first time in his career, Musetti’s 2026 campaign had started even better. He reached the final in both the singles and doubles competitions at the ATP Hong Kong event before following that up with a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open.
That Melbourne run could have gone even deeper if not for an ill-timed injury.
Australian Open Ends in Heartbreak
After dispatching Taylor Fritz with ease in the fourth round, arguably the best performance of his career up to that point, Musetti faced Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. While many pre-match predictions gave the Italian little chance, Musetti produced remarkable tennis early on, racing to a two-sets-to-love lead over the former World No. 1 in just over an hour.
Disaster then struck, as Musetti pulled a muscle in his upper right leg, forcing him to retire mid-match while being just a couple of games away from what would have been a significant, legacy-defining victory over Djokovic at the Australian Open.
That same injury will now also rule him out of his next two tournaments, with Musetti set to miss the South American “Golden Swing” entirely. His withdrawal also leaves the swing without its only Top 10 player.
Musetti is currently targeting a return at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco later this month.
Main Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
