Musetti retires against Zverev in exhibition: 'I preferred not to take any risks' ahead of Australian Open

Lorenzo Musetti withdraws after first set vs. Alexander Zverev due to hip pain. The German, impressed by his opponent's determination, pays tribute ahead of Melbourne.

© AFP

Clément Gehl

le 13/01/2026 à 13h17

1 min to read

Musetti Lorenzo Zverev Alexander

After conceding the tie-break in the first set of his exhibition match against Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti decided to retire. Defeated this Sunday in the final of the Hong Kong tournament by Alexander Bublik, the Italian was suffering from hip pain.

A pain that, according to the Italian, is not very alarming in view of the Australian Open starting the following week: 'I hoped the day would be better. I would have liked to continue, but I preferred not to take any risks. I hope you enjoyed the set we played.'

'He gave it his all'

For his part, Zverev wanted to pay tribute to his opponent: 'Lorenzo just arrived from Hong Kong, he gave it his all, few players would have done the same. I won the last time against Lorenzo, who had beaten me three times in a row.

He has a very varied game, he masters many shots, it's difficult to play well against him because of his tennis. He is 23 years old and has two children, he has enormous potential on and off the court. It's no coincidence that he is in the Top 5.'