Musetti: "The one-handed backhand is the most difficult and most spectacular shot in tennis"

Iker Jiménez | 14 Apr 2026 | 15.56

Musetti: "The one-handed backhand is the most difficult and spectacular stroke in tennis." Source: Getty

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Lorenzo Musetti needed a victory like this. The Italian made a winning debut at the Barcelona Open 2026 after overcoming Martín Landaluce in a match that started uphill, with a very aggressive young Spaniard from the beginning capable of putting him in trouble in the first set. However, the Italian drew on his skill, patience, and quality to turn the match around and secure a hugely valuable victory.

It was not just any victory. For Musetti, it marks his first win since Australia, breaking several challenging months marked by injury and lack of competitive rhythm. Beyond the result, the Italian delivered a press conference rich in analysis. His physical return, the evolution of modern tennis, the future of Landaluce and Jódar, and even a powerful reflection on the one-handed backhand.

A Difficult Start

"The start was not easy. He hit very hard and was very aggressive from the beginning of the match, but I think I fought and played my best tennis. Surely I need to improve my level in the upcoming matches, but very happy to have won a match since Australia. It wasn't easy months for me and my team, so I'm very happy to continue like this, starting to find some rhythm in the match."

The Future of Spanish Tennis

"Both of them (Landaluce and Jódar) have surprised me because they are good guys, and I think that also makes a difference. I think they work well, have a good mentality, and a good work ethic. They don't seem like classic Spanish players in their style because they hit the ball very hard and not with too much spin. I think both of them will prefer faster surfaces, but they have a good future. As I said before, they have a good mentality, work well, and I think they have to let each build their career and profile."

The One-Handed Backhand

"Physically, I feel fine, it's just to deflate a bit. I think the one-handed backhand is the most difficult and spectacular shot in tennis. Now it's a bit rare. I don't know if it will disappear or not, I hope not. But in modern tennis, the ball speed and intensity are very high, and I think with the one-handed backhand, it's hard to say it holds an advantage. I don't know if it will disappear, but for me, it's moving in that direction. I can tell you that I won't teach my son the one-handed backhand because I believe that with the two-handed backhand, there are many more advantages in returns, covering the court, on the left side, and in recovery. I think these are very crucial advantages in modern tennis."

Defending Many Points on the Clay Circuit

"My priority is to feel good physically and mentally. I want to find my level and I believe that, as I did today, fighting is the priority. It's difficult from the first matches to reach my best level. The ultimate priority now is to play match by match and not think ahead beyond Wednesday or Thursday when I play. I won't think about the points I have to defend. I know there are many, but the final priority is to arrive in Paris in the best condition."

Landaluce's Level

"He's a player I like, very aggressive. Today he gave me a lot in crucial moments, especially in the second set. When I could be a bit more solid, he continued to be very aggressive. I went through a tough period, and the fact that I won, fought, and turned around a match is very important for me. It gives me confidence and breaks a bit of the two defeats in the last month."

Working with the New Team

"He speaks to me in Spanish because I like it, it's a language I've studied since I was a child. I enjoy practicing Spanish. I have to say that I understand better than I speak, although I would like to speak much better. In the past four months, we've worked on many things. In the last two months, we've had little time on the court to find solutions in my game. I think in Australia, I was playing my best tennis and finding completeness in my game. But it's never easy to return after two and a half months. I think José, Simón, and the whole team have been close to me in a tough period because it was the first time I was so far from the circuit. It's good to start fresh in Barcelona, where he lives, was born, and is his home. I feel good here, I have a lot of support."

Where Modern Tennis Is Heading

"Modern tennis is increasingly moving towards intensity and ball speed. Today's players are not the classic Spanish players or classic specialists on clay who lift the ball a lot and change the game significantly. They are very aggressive players, much more suited to hard courts. I think in the future, we will see players like Fonseca, who hit the ball very hard. They surely have a good serve, return very well, and tend to take time away. So, I think we are heading in that direction. Surely, physical aspects and professionalism from much younger ages also play a role. This is my sixth year in the ATP, so I don't think I'm too young. I have seen my path and played with these guys, being one of the first to enter the circuit. There was not that level of professionalism at that age. That has also improved. Tennis, especially in Italy, is enjoying great success."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Musetti: "El revés a una mano es el golpe más difícil y más espectacular que hay en el tenis"