Google News
Rising Italian star Lorenzo Musetti, 19, admitted he lost the spark for the game after the French Open but now he is in good spirits. Musetti, who made semifinals in Acapulco and Lyon this year, lost five consecutive matches after the French Open.
“I had lost the spirit of tennis, the passion that I had,” Musetti admitted, per the ATP website. “After the French Open [Roland Garros], I was really under the spotlight. Media and things outside, maybe I gave too much time to that and didn’t focus enough on my tennis.
It’s been a hard period for me”. Musetti ended his losing streak at the Us Open after beating Emilio Nava in the first round. “I made sure I enjoyed the tennis a bit more,” Musetti said at this week’s ATP 250 tournament.
“It came back in New York. It was a really nice atmosphere there. It was the first tournament we could go out in the city. I saw a lot of players and friends. I started to train better, more consistency and finally I’m smiling.
I am not the sad person I was recently”.
Musetti crushed under the pressure
Musetti drew attention to his name after his results in Acapulco and Lyon. Musetti responded negatively to dealing with the pressure and it resulted in a losing streak.
At this week's Astana Open in Nur-Sultan, Musetti beat Marc Polmans to advance to the round-of-16. “It’s a lot of pressure on a 19-year-old, to be expected to win most of the time,” said Musetti. “I didn’t know how to manage it.
I was exploding inside, and I couldn’t give 100 per cent on the court. I started to work with a mental trainer and it’s working. It’s not easy to change these things, I think it’s a long way to go, but I’ve improved mentally.
“Even in this match [against Polmans], I fought for every point. That’s what makes me the happiest. Look at Marc, Top 150, it’s so hard. There is such a tiny difference from the Challengers to here on the ATP Tour. Everyone has to be at 100 per cent the whole time and that’s tough”.