"I didn't want to play tennis" says Musetti explaining bad run related to split from girlfriend

Lorenzo Musetti is a very talented tennis player with many seeing him at the top of tennis in a couple of years with possible a few majors in the future as well. However, after bursting onto the scene in 2021 the Italian endured a very rough stretch losing six matches in a row over the summer. The reason behind it was a loss of motivation after he parted ways with his girlfriend.

He explained:

“I have had a bad period in recent months. I separated from my girlfriend. I didn't want to play anymore. So I decided to see a psychologist and now I'm better."

Read also

Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime, Korda and Jannik Sinner qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals

It's a very personal thing to share and admit especially the part where he consulted a psychologist. Topics like that used to be taboo in the sporting world and it's very good that young athletes are not afraid to speak out on their mental health even admitting to getting help from professionals.

He also spoke about his stardom after he almost bested Novak Djokovic at the French Open saying:

“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 detailed how he got better and found motivation for tennis again saying:

“It’s a lot of pressure on a 19-year-old, to be expected to win most of the time. 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."