Musetti warns Djokovic: "I'm finally in the best possible version of Lorenzo (Musetti)".

We may have forgotten it, but Lorenzo Musetti is one hell of a customer on clay. Even if his 2024 season was disappointing, the Italian remains an extremely talented player capable of the greatest feats when he feels at ease on the tennis court.

And, if we are to believe the man himself, he feels right at home in Paris. Indeed, as he takes on the mountainous Novak Djokovic in the third round (not before 8.15pm this Saturday), Musetti reflects on how he's feeling at the moment. Having won his first two matches of the fortnight with great authority, he's not shying away from saying that he's in great shape and has a good feel for the ball.

After a very quiet first round against Galan (6-3, 6-3, 7-5), he magnificently denied Gaël Monfils a reunion with Novak Djokovic (7-5, 6-1, 6-4). Highly satisfied with his level of play, the Transalpine is ready for battle. Looking back on his performance against Monfils, he was quick to look ahead: "I think it was one of the toughest challenges I've faced here in Paris (facing Gaël Monfils), the best match of my season, with such a big crowd against a great opponent like Gaël.

I've never felt so confident on the court, especially in terms of concentration and the attitude to suffer. I hope this is just the start of an escalation of matches and victories. There are a lot of challenges here in Paris, but I'm finally in the best possible version of Lorenzo and I'm ready to take them on!"

Asked about his future opponent, namely world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the world No. 30 said, "'Nole' is a born fighter, and we know each other very well. We've had several great matches. It will be a pleasure to face an opponent of this caliber and put myself on the stage, and it's perhaps the most ambitious challenge there is in this sport."