AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2026

Lorenzo Musetti

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/L. Musetti

4-6, 3-6, 3-1 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Bad luck, Lorenzo. When did you start feeling that something was wrong, and what have the doctors said so far?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, yeah, I felt it at the beginning of the second set. I felt there was something strange in my right leg. You know, I continued to play, because I was playing really, really, really well, but I was feeling that the pain was increasing, and the problem was not getting away.

At the end, when I took the medical time-out, to stay three minutes, I sitted, and when I started to play again, I felt even more and was getting higher and higher the level of the pain.

So not much to say about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You've had kind of a few injuries over the years. You've had to retire in Grand Slams a few times. How much of a concern is it in general that this has happened multiple times, and do you have kind of an idea of why?

LORENZO MUSETTI: No. I mean, we have done all the exams and tests before starting the season to see and to try and prevent these kind of injuries, and then they say nothing came out, so I honestly have no words to describe how I'm feeling right now and how tough is for me this injury in this moment.

Q. Do you have any idea what specifically is hurt in your leg, and if there was more you could have done in the match to treat it, to tape it, something?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, to tape it, it was a little bit too high, so it was impossible to tape it. And, no, I mean, I feel personally that I know my body, and I feel personally that I'm kind of secure that this is a tear, unfortunately.

Q. Do you know what part of your leg it is?

LORENZO MUSETTI: I'm not doctor, but it's kind of on the -- I don't know if it's the adductor or... I don't know. It's over there. But, of course, I will do all the exams when I will come back home and, of course I will update you guys.

Q. As was mentioned there, you've had some tough ones like this before. Is this the hardest one to take, just given how well you were playing and the sort of caliber of opponent?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Well, definitely yes. Honestly, I never imagined, you know, the feeling of leading two sets to zero against Novak and playing like that and have the lead of the match like that and be forced to retire is something that, of course, I will never imagine. Of course, it's really painful.

Q. Does it feel like it was the same injury as you had against Carlos at Roland Garros last year? Obviously different leg. Is it a bit different, the injury?

LORENZO MUSETTI: No, no, it was the same leg, because it was the right one, but I don't feel it's at the same point. But it's tough to say now, because of course, it's going to be -- I'm going to have to check for sure better and try to see and to clear out what it is. Also to try to think about a process of rehabilitation and, you know, recovery.

Q. Did you notice Novak was getting treatment on his blisters at a similar time when you were feeling the pinch as well?

LORENZO MUSETTI: No. No, I mean, I saw that he got the medical timeout, but I was not really worried about him (smiling).

Q. For how many points or games were you aware that I can't go on like this?

LORENZO MUSETTI: Honestly, I played almost all the second set like that, but I could play, because especially with the serve, it was helping me a lot, and I was trying a little bit to push from the baseline, which I was feeling the ball pretty well today.

So I was managing, you know, to try to hold there and to stay and try to, you know, don't really look at the pain. But then afterwards, as I said, the first question, when I sit down for three minutes and I kind of, not relax, but kind of stayed longer in the wait position, the pain immediately started to increase.

Then afterwards, I was feeling also -- especially when I was going with the forehand on the open stance, I was feeling that I could not, you know, come back to the middle and then started, you know, as you saw, I could not really play.

So, you know, unfortunately, it was no chance and no way to tape it, to do something, you know, to continue to play.