Musetti surrenders to Jódar: "When I saw him, I said 'Wow, this guy plays well!'"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 7 May 2026 | 20.13

Musetti surrenders to Jódar: "When I saw him, I said, 'Wow, this boy plays well!'" Photo: Gettyimages

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Lorenzo Musetti arrives at the Masters 1000 in Rome not being the same as last year. Injuries at the beginning of the season, first in the Australian Open and then in Indian Wells, have not allowed him to show his best version, the one that was seen last year on this clay court tour, reaching the final in Monte Carlo and the semifinals of Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros.

This is a situation that the world number 10 is fully aware of. He confessed this in an interview with Eurosport Italia: "Certainly, I arrive with fewer matches than last year and less confidence, there's no point in hiding it. However, as I said in the press conference, the fact that there are Roman fans, or at least Italians, I think is a great advantage that I must seize."

As expected, he was also asked about the great form of his compatriot Jannik Sinner, whom he did not hesitate to praise: "Jannik has definitely paved a new path, if we want to call it that, especially in Italian tennis. What he is doing and what he has already done is something that no one in Italy had done before."

He bows to the new tennis promise: Rafa Jódar

But he was not the only tennis player he talked about; he also confessed that it was the first thing that came to mind when he saw Rafa Jódar play: "Jódar has shown to be very strong lately, he impressed me in Madrid. I had the chance to train with him in Barcelona, and I remember speaking to José Perlas and saying, 'Wow, this guy plays well!'. You can tell that there are people who have something different: he strikes the ball very well, has a style quite similar to Federico Cinà, although perhaps with Jodar, the ball is a bit heavier. And that is understandable, being older."

However, the high level of competitiveness reigning at the top of the circuit, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as undisputed leaders, has led the Italian to go four years without lifting a title, something he finds hard to accept: "Despite being number 5 in the world, having reached the quarterfinals of all Grand Slams and two Grand Slam semifinals, the first thing I hear is that Lorenzo Musetti has not won a title in four years. That is something that definitely lingers a bit in my mind. But of course, there have been so many finals over the years, so it's not so easy to be in the second position. But we are progressing."

Lorenzo Musetti supported the letter sent by ATP and WTA players to Roland Garros regarding their prize money

He also took the opportunity to talk about the current topic: the letter sent by ATP and WTA players to Roland Garros regarding the prize money for this edition: "I supported the letter of the top ten. It is a topic we have been debating for a while: the leaders of both rankings are trying to push us towards fairness. I believe that the more united we are, the more our voice will be heard, and perhaps we will achieve better results. It takes patience; we know it is a long process. We have time on our side, given that we are a quite young group with very clear ideas."

The fact that Musetti is 'struggling' in this stretch of the season is due to the severe injury he suffered in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open when he was two sets ahead against Novak Djokovic. A moment he has not managed to forget.

"It was not easy; it was a very dramatic moment. Undoubtedly, it was the most serious injury of my career, and especially because of when it happened, it had a significant impact on my body. Mentally, it was also difficult to cope with because I felt prepared to achieve something great, and then that something did not come. It was as if the dream had faded. It takes time to heal the wound, not so much physically, but mentally. But I believe that after that, one comes back stronger," says a Lorenzo Musetti eager to become one of the most dangerous players on the circuit again.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Musetti se rinde a Jódar: "Cuando lo vi dije "¡Guau, este chico juega bien!""