Episode 19: Lorenzo Musetti on Italian tennis, fashion and having the “most beautiful game”

Episode 19 of The Big T, a Tennis Channel podcast, is available to listen on your favorite streaming platforms—click here to listen.

You can also watch specific segments of The Big T and bonus content on the Tennis Channel app—click here and start digging in!

In this week's episode:

• 🇮🇹 Mark Petchey and Coco Vandeweghe are ON LOCATION at the Italian Open in Rome—in the heart of the action, hobnobbing with the best in the game.
• 🎂 Big T birthday szn—Carlos Alcaraz turns 23 and Aryna Sabalenka turns 28. Celebratory vibes from the jump. (2:50)
• 👑 Novak Djokovic is BACK—and tracking toward what could be his best shot at Slam #25 in a few weeks. Don't count him out. (4:25)
• 🎤 Alexander Zverev drops a soundbite for the ages—two tiers on tour, and he's not shy about where everyone stands. (10:30)
• 🎾 Lorenzo Musetti joins the show—Italian tennis, the Sinner effect, one-handed backhands, fashion, all of it. One of the best guest conversations of the season. (19:15)
• 🐐 Jannik Sinner just won Madrid. Should we hand him every trophy now and call it a clay season? The debate is real. (41:45)
• ⬆️ Hailey Baptiste is on the rise and developing the right way. Can she make more noise in Rome? (44:00)
• 🔧 Fix It or Forget It—Tsitsipas, Anisimova, Medvedev and Osaka all go under the microscope. Petch and Coco don't hold back. (47:15)
• 📬 Fan Mail closes the show—including a spicy question about Sabalenka's alleged "16th match curse." Three winning streaks. Three times broken at 15. Coincidence? (52:45)

🎤 The Big T Interview: Learning About Lorenzo

Former world No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti joins The Big T for a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation with one of the most stylish and creative players in the sport.

Musetti reflects on growing up in football-and-motorsport obsessed Italy, how his father introduced him to tennis, and the difficult transition from junior standout to ATP Tour contender.

Plus:

• His relationship with fashion and self-expression
• Partnerships with Bottega Veneta and ASICS

• Iconic looks like his white leather jacket at Wimbledon

• Representing Italy at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia

He also discusses the current golden era of Italian tennis, crediting Jannik Sinner’s rise to world No. 1 for helping inspire a new generation of players across both tours.

Petchey makes the case that Musetti has the most attractive game in men’s tennis, leading to a discussion on how he has developed his shot-making and all-court creativity over the years.

😳 Sascha Said What?

What did you think of this quote? (Let our hosts know at thebigt@tennischannel.com)

I think there's a big gap between Sinner and everybody else, and I think there's a big gap between Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak and everybody else. Alexander Zverev, after his 6-1, 6-2 loss to Sinner in the Madrid final

Vandeweghe believes it was a "non-starter," and that Zverev isn't in the same conversation as Jannik, Carlos or Novak—because he's missing a major.

That said, she feels Zverev is the third-best contender on tour at the moment, but only because we haven't seen enough from Djokovic of late.

🇺🇸 Is Hailey Baptiste the Next Great American?

It took a monumental two-set effort from Mirra Andreeva (6-4, 7-6 (8)) to end Hailey Baptiste's run in the Madrid semifinals—one that included victories over Jasmine Paolini, Belinda Bencic and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The 24-year-old was seeded 30th in that WTA 1000 tournament, and she's No. 32 this week in Rome, but this could be the last run of play we see the American ranked this low.

Petchey saw it up close, when he coached Emma Raducanu at this year's BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

"She's playing unbelievable tennis," Petchey told Raducanu, as they walked off the practice court. "At some point, it is gonna click huge for Hailey."

Now ranked 25th on tour, Petchey thinks it might be a year away for Baptiste to be "a genuine contender at Roland Garros," but know that no high seed will want to see Hailey's name opposite theirs in the draw.

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