Lorenzo Musetti picked up an injury in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
The Italian made a positive start against Novak Djokovic, winning the first two sets to move himself within touching distance of the last four.
But, at 1-3 in the third set, Musetti retired due to injury, leaving Rod Laver Arena for the final time in 2026.
While some fans sympathised with Musetti, others questioned his eagerness to forfeit the match.
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One fan launched a scathing criticism of Musetti on X.
“[Lorenzo] Musetti retires way too easily,” they said.
“He doesn’t fight. I may sound harsh, but every player has some minor issues here and there.
“A GS [Grand Slam] QF where you are 2-0 up is a situation where you should try to fight and get treatment. He gave up easily; many times, he does this. He’s not a fighter.”
Reacting to those comments, former world number four Holger Rune shared his thoughts.
Holger Rune ‘perfectly understands’ Lorenzo Musetti’s decision
Defending his rival, Rune took to X to reply to the commenter.
“Look what happened to me when I pushed through a grade 1 tear in the leg,” said Rune.
“[It] cost me a longer time away from tennis than ever before.
“Yes, we want to fight at any cost and with pain, but I perfectly understand Musetti chose to listen to his body.”
Rune is currently out injured because he ‘pushed through’ when he needed to rest.
So if he says he understands Musetti’s decision, then there really should be no debate.
But is there any truth behind the theory that Musetti isn’t a ‘fighter’?
Every Lorenzo Musetti mid-match retirement
Since making his ATP Tour debut, Musetti has retired from nine matches.
- 2026 Australian Open QF – Lorenzo Musetti vs Novak Djokovic
- 2025 China Open QF – Lorenzo Musetti vs Learner Tien
- 2025 French Open SF – Lorenzo Musetti vs Carlos Alcaraz
- 2024 Italian Open 2R – Lorenzo Musetti vs Terence Atmane
- 2023 United Cup F – Lorenzo Musetti vs Frances Tiafoe
- 2022 Queen’s 1R – Lorenzo Musetti vs Alexander Bublik
- 2022 Madrid Open 3R – Lorenzo Musetti vs Alexander Zverev
- 2021 French Open 4R – Lorenzo Musetti vs Novak Djokovic
- 2020 Sardegna Open SF – Lorenzo Musetti vs Laslo Djere
That’s more than every other top-10 player except for Djokovic, a man 15 years his senior.
Mid-match retirements of the ATP Top 10
| Rank | Name | Age | Country | Mid-match retirements | Grand Slam mid-match retirements |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | Spain | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | 24 | Italy | 7 | 1 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | 28 | Germany | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | 38 | Serbia | 14 | 7 |
| 5 | Lorenzo Musetti | 23 | Italy | 9 | 3 |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur | 26 | Australia | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Ben Shelton | 23 | USA | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 25 | Canada | 6 | 2 |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz | 28 | USA | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Alexander Bublik | 28 | Kazakhstan | 8 | 0 |
The stats are damning, but they don’t necessarily prove that Musetti is too soft.
It’s more of an indicator that Musetti needs to focus on his physical health.
Building a body that can withstand deep runs at tournaments on different surfaces is no mean feat.
But it’s clear Musetti must address this problem and nip it in the bud.
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Speaking to ‘Gill Gross‘ ahead of the 2026 season, Musetti picked his fitness as an area of his game in need of improvement.
“To close the gap with these two [Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner], I think I have to work really, really hard physically, which I’m doing,” he said.
“And having a little more time to prepare myself.”
Musetti knows what to do; it’s now down to him to sort things out.
If the injury isn’t too serious, Musetti will return at the 2026 Argentina Open, which begins on Monday, February 9.
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