Lorenzo Musetti is part of Italy’s squad at this week’s Davis Cup Finals (Image: Getty)
As he prepares to round out one of his best-ever seasons, Lorenzo Musetti has explained how the birth of his first child changed everything.
The Italian world No. 17 will be back in action on Saturday to help his nation retain their Davis Cup crown as they take on Australia in the semi-final.
The title would be the cherry on top of the cake for Musetti, who has already claimed an Olympic bronze metal this year. And the 22-year-old credits his improvement to his new role as a father.
Musetti and his partner Veronica Confalonieri welcomed their first child, a boy named Ludovico, in March. The Italian had little time off before he was straight back into competition.
But the birth of Ludovico only motivated him and fans quickly coined the term ‘post-partum Musetti’ to describe the 22-year-old’s improvement after becoming a father.
Musetti went on to upset players like and at Masters events soon after his son arrived. He then pushed to five sets before losing a late-night epic at the French Open.
Musetti had an even more successful grass season, reaching the last four in Stuttgart and finishing runner-up at Queen’s before getting to his first Grand Slam semi-final at . Weeks later, he won bronze at the Olympics.
Lorenzo Musetti and his partner Veronica welcomed their first child this year (Image: Instagram @lore_musetti)
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The world No. 17 has now explained how Ludovico made him a better tennis player. He told : “The birth of my son gave me a lot of responsibility on the Lorenzo player, not just of the figure of the father.
“So, definitely in that area, I think that’s where I was improving the most. Even if I think I have to do more, that will bring me probably even more results.”
While Musetti is loving fatherhood, he confessed he was worried about the adjustment before he and his girlfriend welcomed Ludovico into the world. “I was pretty scared of everything, honestly,” he said.
“Especially when he was just a newborn. I was really scared of holding him. And then, when the nurse (gave) me him for the first time, I was holding him in a really natural way. It was surprising.”
While tennis keeps him busy, the two-time title winner loves getting involved with day-to-day tasks at home – even if they don’t go to plan. He continued: “I really like to put asleep, Ludovico, even if sometimes it can last really long and you have to be really patient.
“The first time that I changed him, he peed himself when I was changing the diapers. We were like this (motions moving away) to avoid to be hit by his pee. It was really funny and also something that you remember with happiness.”
Musetti will be hoping to add to his trophy cabinet this weekend as Italy are in contention to defend their Davis Cup crown. Last year, the Italian team ended a 47-year drought at the World Cup of men’s tennis, beating Australia to lift the title.
The 22-year-old was part of the squad alongside the likes of , Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Arnaldi. And Italy will face the Aussies again on Saturday, this time in the semi-final, as they bid to hold onto their trophy.