Lorenzo Musetti caused a major upset at the Monte Carlo Masters by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in a closely fought three-set match. Djokovic, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, won the first set but eventually lost 4-6 7-5 6-4 in a match interrupted by a one-hour rain delay. 

The win on Thursday marked the biggest win of Musetti’s career, and he will face fellow Italian Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.

After the match, Musetti was visibly emotional, saying, “I am struggling not to cry because it is a dream for me. It is an emotional win because it was a really long match.” The 16th seed expressed his pride in himself and his accomplishment.

Djokovic, on the other hand, acknowledged his loss but did not feel it was “catastrophic.” “I don’t think it’s catastrophic, but my feeling is bad right now because I lost the match,” Djokovic said. However, he admitted that he felt terrible after exiting the tournament. “Well, [my] feeling is terrible after playing like this, honestly,” he added. “But congrats to him. He stayed tough in important moments, and that’s it. That’s all I can say.”

Playing his first tournament since Dubai in early March, Djokovic saw his serve broken eight times by world number 21 Musetti during the two-hour and 54-minute match. He had lost serve just 17 times in his 17 previous matches this year, and the loss will likely come as a disappointment to the Serbian player.

Despite his defeat, Djokovic acknowledged Musetti’s impressive performance and mental toughness during the match. “He stayed tough in important moments, and that’s it. That’s all I can say,” Djokovic said.

Musetti’s victory over Djokovic sets up an all-Italian quarter-final clash with Jannik Sinner, who also caused an upset by coming back from a set and match point down to beat Hubert Hurkacz. Sinner’s remarkable comeback shows that he, too, possesses the mental fortitude needed to win against top-ranked players, setting up an exciting match with Musetti.

Leon Osamor