Lorenzo Musetti has been kept out of competition for most of the 2026 season due to physical issues.
Musetti retired in his Australian Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic due to a torn adductor, despite once leading the match by two sets to love.
Although he was clearly in some pain, Musetti received some criticism for his retirement after leading the match.
Musetti has withdrawn from two tournaments since the Australian Open, causing concern about the severity of his physical issues.
As Musetti looks to return to competition at Indian Wells, his compatriot Luciano Darderi has suggested that something could be contributing to his injury issues.
Luciano Darderi explains why he thinks Lorenzo Musetti has been struggling with injury
“Yes, it’s difficult. Physically and mentally, because it’s not only physical, it’s also mental. The mental side also leads to the physical,” Darderi told CLAY and RG Media.
“Musetti is world number five. Ahead of him are [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner, who are two aliens, Djokovic who is a legend, and [Alexander] Zverev.
“Musetti, like everyone, is more playable than Sinner and Alcaraz, but he has an incredible ranking. To reach that — Grand Slam semi-finals, a Masters 1000 final — is an extremely high level.”
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The Australian Open is not the first time that Musetti has retired from a big match, having been unable to continue his French Open semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz last year.
Musetti also has an issue in finals, having lost his last seven, including in Hong Kong at the start of the 2026 season.
This backs up Darderi’s suggestion that Musetti struggles with both the mental side of tennis as well as physical, which can sometimes lead to the other.
Luciano Darderi states his big goal for the 2026 season
While Musetti has been on the injury sidelines, Darderi has been competing on South American clay courts at tournaments in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Santiago.
After losing in the final in Buenos Aires and suffering a first round exit in Rio de Janeiro, Darderi has reached the final in Santiago.
As Darderi looks to win his fifth ATP title, he moves closer towards his big dream goal for the year of breaking into the top 10 of the world rankings.
When asked about how he plans to make this happen, Darderi listed the six things he thinks need to happen for him to achieve his goal.
“Many things,” said Darderi. “A lot of consistency, no injuries, having good tournaments, taking opportunities, doing things right and having a bit of luck.”
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Darderi is currently at his career-high ranking of world number 21, where he would remain regardless of the result in the Chile Open final.
If he beats Yannick Hanfmann in the final in Santiago, Darderi will be just 66 points from breaking into the top 20 for the first time.
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