Lorenzo Musetti has withdrawn from Wimbledon as the Italian continues to recover from a thigh injury, removing one of the sport’s most stylish shotmakers from the grass-court Grand Slam less than two weeks before play begins.
Musetti, a former world No. 5 and 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist, has not played since losing to Casper Ruud in the fourth round of the Italian Open in Rome in mid-May. The same injury also forced him to miss the French Open. Reuters reported that Musetti announced the Wimbledon decision Wednesday, saying his rehabilitation is progressing but he has not yet been able to resume a full athletic training program.
The 24-year-old said the medical results have been encouraging, but he and his team decided the risk of returning too soon was too great. “It is not an easy decision, but it is the right one,” Musetti wrote in his statement.
The withdrawal is another frustrating setback in a season that has already been interrupted by injury. Musetti had been expected to be one of Italy’s key contenders at Wimbledon, where his all-court game and one-handed backhand have translated well in the past. His 2024 semifinal run remains his best result at the All England Club.
The injury was first confirmed after his Rome defeat, when ATP reported that medical examinations showed a rectus femoris injury requiring several weeks of rest and recovery. That diagnosis ruled him out of Hamburg and Roland Garros, and the recovery timeline has now extended into the grass-court season.
Musetti’s absence also affects the Wimbledon field. His withdrawal opens a main-draw spot for fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist. Berrettini, who has also dealt with repeated injury problems in recent seasons, recently reached the French Open quarterfinals.
Wimbledon begins June 29 and runs through July 12. For Musetti, the priority is now avoiding another setback and returning only when he can compete at full strength.
The timing is difficult. Wimbledon is the one Grand Slam where Musetti has already proved he can make a deep run, and his absence removes another dangerous name from a men’s draw already shaped by questions over fitness and form. For Italy, however, the story still has a twist: Musetti is out, but Berrettini may now have a fresh opening at the tournament where he has produced the best Grand Slam result of his career.
