Lorenzo Musetti could have a real issue which was showcased once again at the Australian Open.
Musetti reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time this year, setting up a meeting with Novak Djokovic.
Despite having only won one of his 10 previous matches against Djokovic, Musetti actually led the 24-time Grand Slam champion by two sets to love.
However, Musetti retired due to a right leg injury in the third set of the match, giving Djokovic a lifeline into the semifinals.
After the match, Musetti confirmed that he had felt the injury in the second set, but there are now concerns growing about the Italian’s attitude, particularly compared to his rivals.
Steve Flink states his ‘worry’ for Lorenzo Musetti after the Australian Open
When reflecting on the Australian Open on the Court-Side with Beilinson Tennis podcast, Tennis Hall of Fame journalist Steve Flink spoke about his concern for Musetti.
Flink pointed out that this is not the first time that this has happened for Musetti, who retired against Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last year.
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The 73-year-old then made a comparison between the two players, and suggested that Alcaraz would not have retired as soon as Musetti, who he claimed ‘gives up a little too soon’.
“Musetti’s got the trainer rubbing his legs, kind of similar to what we saw with Carlos,” said Flink. “The difference is that Carlos is not going to leave that court, you were going to have to carry him off the court, he wasn’t going to quit.
“And Musetti that’s one worry I have about him is that when he lost to Novak in the 2021 French, I guess it was the round of 16 that year. Yeah, it was two-sets-to-love Musetti and Novak comes back, storms back and wins the third and the fourth and goes up 4-0 in the fifth and Musetti retires.
“Then Musetti retired after he came close to going two-sets-to-love up against Carlos in the French semis last year, and he retired in another match against Carlos.
“It concerns me a bit that he pulls the plug, and I’m not saying he’s a quitter, you don’t get to five in the world without being a great competitor, but sometimes I think he gives up a little too soon.
“He’s a little too worried about long-term damage to the point where, like he could have tried to finish this set with Novak to see if it got a little better over the next because he was about to go down two breaks, didn’t happen.”
Flink is not the only person who has made these sorts of comments about the world number five, but Musetti has been defended by Holger Rune, who is currently on the sidelines with a serious Achilles injury.
What is next for Lorenzo Musetti after his Australian Open retirement?
Although Flink believes Musetti decided to retire from his Australian Open quarterfinal too soon, it appears that the leg injury was too severe to continue competing in Melbourne.
Musetti was scheduled to head to South America for the Golden Swing after the Australian Open, but he has now announced his withdrawal from the Argentina Open and Rio Open after undergoing some tests.
“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,” Musetti wrote in a post on Instagram.
“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.”
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The next tournament on Musetti’s schedule is the Mexican Open in Acapulco, where he will be the top seed.
However, it is unclear as to whether Musetti will be ready for the ATP 500 tournament, particularly with the sunshine double of Indian Wells and the Miami Open coming straight after the Mexican Open.
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