Musetti Bids School Farewell And Says Hello To Wimbledon
Lorenzo Musetti pushed World No. 1 and eventual champion Novak Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round at Roland Garros. When the Italian returned home, it was not just to work on his game; it was to hit the books.
For a week-and-a-half following that loss, the 19-year-old prepared for an oral exam that marked the end of his high school studies. On Saturday, the Italian took the test at his school, Istituto Parini, in Cecina.
“It was the end of the school period of my life. Now I am free!” Musetti told ATPTour.com. “It was a big test. It was all the subjects. It was not easy. But I was prepared, and it went well. I don’t know yet the score that I’ll receive, but I will know next week if I passed or not.”
Musetti has faced plenty of pressure-filled moments since breaking onto the ATP Tour towards the end of last season. The #NextGenATP star has often thrived at the biggest tournaments and performed well on stadium courts. But according to the teen, this was a different experience.
“I was a little bit nervous, because you take the oral exam in front of all the teachers and all the professors. I’m used to speaking with the media and doing interviews. But when you speak about school or something that you study for, it’s not the same,” Musetti said. “The professor asks you about every subject from the year and you have to try to respond.
“For me it went well. I think I passed.”
Musetti has studied in Spanish, English and French, adding another level of complexity to his schooling. He won’t miss studying on the road in addition to all his other responsibilities.
“It was an extra thing to do, so it was not easy to manage it,” Musetti said before cracking a laugh. “Now I’m free, so it’s going to be better for sure.”
Currently at a career-high No. 58 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Musetti was unable to play any tournaments since Roland Garros because of his studies. But now, he is eager to compete at Wimbledon.
Musetti has never played a professional match on grass. But he played the Wimbledon boys’ singles event in 2018, when he made the quarter-finals with wins against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Hugo Gaston. The 19-year-old believes his artistic game will translate to the surface well.
“It was really surprising for me, [my result at] the French Open. Both [that tournament and the exam] went really well and of course I’m trying to be prepared as I was for those for Wimbledon,” Musetti said. “I’m looking forward to it a lot. For sure I will enjoy playing on grass. I think it’s going to be a good mix, a good combination with my game and grass. I hope to play well and to play my game and to try to go as far as I can.”