Lorenzo Musetti, Feels Unwell Like Jannik Sinner: “A Similar Situation”
Lorenzo Musetti’s 2026 really seems to be giving him no respite. At the US Open—the tournament that was supposed to be an opportunity to regain consistency after a difficult few months—the Italian was eliminated in the second round by Australia’s Dane Sweeny, ranked No. 123 in the world, at the end of a match marred by a sudden bout of illness. Musetti had gotten off to the best possible start, winning the first set 6-3. From that point on, however, the match took a complete turn. The Italian suffered a sudden loss of energy, particularly in his legs, to the point where he felt almost “paralyzed.” Sweeny took advantage, winning the next three sets decisively, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
The loss left the Carrara native feeling deeply disappointed, as he was once again forced to deal with a physical setback. “It’s really a shame. I’m extremely disappointed with how I played on the court,” Musetti told Sky Sport. “After a well-controlled first set, I felt this sudden drop in energy that practically prevented me from playing anymore. I felt paralyzed, especially in my legs.”
“The heat definitely didn’t help me. And then there’s the air conditioning here too: I think the temperature is set too low and there’s too much of a contrast between inside and outside,” he explained. He was referring primarily to the areas players use to warm up and recover. “I’m thinking especially of the areas where we warm up, like the gym, physical therapy, or the players’ lounge: I think it’s too cold there.” Musetti did not, however, rule out other explanations. “I need to look into it a bit more to find an answer, but I imagine it was some sort of heatstroke,” he said, emphasizing that the discomfort came on suddenly and prevented him from regaining his energy.
“I think there was definitely a significant temperature shock, and it really took a toll on me. Unfortunately, despite taking a few breaks, I was never able to regain my energy or reach an acceptable level of physical condition.” The hardest moment came when Musetti spoke about yet another difficult episode in a season that seems to have become a long struggle to return to normalcy. “Honestly, I’m sick of withdrawing; I’m sick of all this. This year really feels like an odyssey; now that the movie’s out, it feels like my 2026. I have to accept it and move on.”
During the press conference, there was also a reference to Jannik Sinner and the South Tyrolean’s health scare in Paris. Musetti, while clarifying that he couldn’t make direct comparisons, observed: “In my opinion, it was a similar situation: once you, let’s say, cross a certain threshold, it’s hard to go back to how things were before.” Musetti himself, however, downplayed any direct parallels. “I saw what happened to Jannik on TV, but I didn’t experience it myself and I haven’t spoken with him.”
