Musetti skips Wimbledon to safeguard long-term fitness
A lingering thigh injury forces the Italian to miss the grass-court major he reached in 2024, handing an unexpected main-draw entry to a resurgent compatriot.
Former Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti has pulled out of the upcoming grass-court Grand Slam as he continues to recover from a left thigh injury.
Pressure builds after last year’s breakthrough
Musetti reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2024, losing to Novak Djokovic. That run raised expectations for a deeper grass campaign, yet the thigh issue sustained in May blocked any meaningful tune-up matches. Without time to rebuild serve-and-volley adjustments or the inside-out patterns that served him well on faster courts, the risk of re-injury outweighed any short-term gain.
“Rehabilitation is going very well and the medical results are encouraging. Unfortunately, as I have not yet been able to begin a full athletic training program, and after careful evaluation, we have come to the difficult conclusion that I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year,” the 15th-ranked player said on Instagram on Wednesday. “It is not an easy decision, but it is the right one. My priority is to return to the court at 100%.”
Season disrupted from Rome onward
The same injury forced an earlier exit from the French Open, leaving a gap in competitive rhythm that no amount of indoor practice could fully replace. Wimbledon’s start on June 29 now sits just beyond reach, turning what should have been a peak moment into another chapter of careful monitoring. The choice to sit out reflects a longer view: preserving the body for the hard-court stretch where points and ranking security matter most.
Berrettini steps into the vacated draw spot
Musetti’s withdrawal opens up a spot in the main draw for fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open. Ranked No. 49, Berrettini had been outside the top 100 when the entry list was set, making the late addition a rare second chance at the All England Club. His 2021 final run relied on a heavy first-serve percentage and a reliable inside-out forehand that flattened out on the low-bouncing surface.
With limited recent grass preparation, he must compress his service motion and favor slice approaches to shorten points against returners who thrive on extended baseline exchanges. Opponents will target his second serve early, forcing him to mix in more kick serves wide before transitioning behind a one–two combination. The surface rewards those adjustments; players who delay the shift from clay habits often lose the first two sets while recalibrating footwork. Berrettini’s Paris points lifted him to No. 49 in time for the withdrawal window, converting a protected ranking opportunity into an actual seed-line position that alters potential first-week matchups.