Lorenzo Musetti has just suffered a significant injury setback at the 2026 Australian Open, which is why people are asking what happened to him.

What happened to Lorenzo Musetti?

Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire injured in his Australian Open 2026 quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic, despite leading by two sets and playing some of the best tennis of his career.

He appeared to suffer a muscle problem in his upper right leg, which progressively worsened until he could no longer move properly and had to stop the match while trailing in the third set.

Quick Scoop

  • Match: Australian Open 2026 quarterfinal vs Novak Djokovic.
  • Score when he stopped: Musetti led 6–4, 6–3, but retired at 1–3 in the third set.
  • Issue: Upper right leg injury; he believes it’s a muscle tear.
  • Context: It was his first Australian Open quarterfinal and a huge chance to reach a hard‑court Grand Slam semifinal.

What exactly went wrong?

Musetti said he first felt “something strange” in his right leg early in the second set but kept playing because he was performing at a very high level and was close to a huge upset.

As the match went on, the pain increased, and after a medical timeout he found it even harder to move, eventually deciding it was impossible to continue.

He described it as likely being a muscle tear in the upper right leg, noting that it hurt too high up to be taped effectively.

He called it the toughest injury situation of his career so far, especially because it came when he was leading Djokovic by two sets and playing what he felt was dream‑level tennis.

How serious is it and what’s next?

Officially, he has not yet given a full, detailed medical diagnosis beyond his belief that it is a muscle tear.

However, the way he spoke about the injury suggests he expects time off to recover and will need scans and treatment before returning to competition.

Tournament coverage and reports emphasize how heartbreaking the timing is: a win would have put him into a hard‑court Slam semifinal and pushed his ranking prospects higher, turning a breakthrough opportunity into a painful exit.

What are fans and media saying?

  • Many reports highlight how well he played for two sets, outplaying Djokovic and controlling the match from the baseline with his variety and defense.
  • Commentators and Djokovic himself expressed sympathy, noting that Musetti was the better player until the injury changed everything.
  • Fans on forums and social media have been reacting with a mix of frustration and sadness, seeing it as another chapter in Musetti’s up‑and‑down but very talented career.

TL;DR

Lorenzo Musetti had to retire from his Australian Open 2026 quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic due to a suspected muscle tear in his upper right leg, after leading by two sets and playing brilliantly.

It’s considered one of the most heartbreaking moments of his career so far, and he’s now facing a recovery period while fans wait for clearer medical updates.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.