Sensing opportunity, Musetti races into Roland Garros third round

Lorenzo Musetti has wasted little time sending out a statement that he means business at Roland Garros.

The eighth seed on Wednesday raced past Daniel Elahi Galan 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to reach the third round at the clay court major. Musetti converted six of 12 break points he earned, according to Infosys Stats, to wrap a two-hour, six-minute triumph and build impressively on his opening 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 triumph against Yannick Hanfmann.

“Honestly today was not easy to play because of the wind,” said Musetti. “I think I managed to stay there and play a solid match. That is what I needed. I had to raise the level, raise the battle, and I’m really happy to be in the third round.”

Smooth sailing ⛵️

Musetti cruises into the third round with a 6-4 6-0 6-4 win over Galan 🌊@rolandgarros | #rolandgarros | #musetti pic.twitter.com/fxABq16awK

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 28, 2025

By increasing his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Galan to 3-0, Musetti improved to 23-5 on clay since last July. During that period, his achievements include winning a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and reaching at least the semi-finals at all three clay ATP Masters 1000 events in 2025, including a championship-match run in Monte-Carlo.

Musetti has suffered plenty of heartache at Roland Garros, where he has only lost to Novak Djokovic (twice), Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz. He led Djokovic by two sets to love in the fourth round on event debut in 2021, before retiring in the fifth set. A year later, he also led then-World No. 4 Tsitsipas by two sets before falling to a first-round defeat, while his 2024 third-round loss to Djokovic also came in five sets.

Yet Musetti has never been better placed to atone for these past disappointments. The Italian’s stunning clay-court form has propelled him to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, as he bids to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut on home soil.

He is also unlikely to fear anyone in his section of the draw, despite the presence of some high-quality rivals. Should he defeat Mariano Navone next, Musetti is seeded to meet 10th seed Holger Rune, the Barcelona champion, in the fourth round. The 15th seed Frances Tiafoe is the highest-ranked player Musetti could face in the quarter-finals.

“It’s been a tremendous clay season so far, but the ambitions now are higher and of course here I never reached more than the fourth round,” said Musetti, who is competing at a career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “Hopefully this year will be the year, and the mentality is to try and beat everyone… I have the chance to play against everyone here, and hopefully I will take these chances.”

Musetti's next opponent Navone booked his third-round spot by defeating Reilly Opelka 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-3, while 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Hamad Medjedovic also advanced on Wednesday lunchtime. Medjedovic sank qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to advance to face Daniel Altmaier, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 winner against Vit Kopriva.

Looming in the fourth round for Musetti is a potential meeting with Holger Rune, the 10th seed who ousted American Emilio Nava 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3. American Frances Tiafoe also won in straight sets, defeating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.