New father Lorenzo Musetti is living the dream ahead of today’s Wimbledon semifinal against Novak Djokovic.
The 22-year-old Musetti, whose partner gave birth to a son Ludovico in March says reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career was the “second-best” day of his life.
Musetti beat big-serving American Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-1 and said after the match: “It’s a magic day.
“I have to say after the birth of my son, I will put this in the second position today. For my career, it is the best day of my life.”
Musetti, seeded 25th for the tournament, will battle the odds against second seed Djokovic, who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final.
Of that clash, Musetti says: “I’ve played him many times in different stages, even big ones. I beat him one time in Monte Carlo. I lost the others.
“With Nole [Djokovic], after the match I always finished with a lesson. The last match was really an intense one from both players and a really stressful match.
“Against him you’re probably more stressed because he’s probably the best player ever or one of the best ever. You walk on court with a different mentality. If I play a certain way, I could have my shot in the next round.”
Third-seeded title holder Alcaraz will face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal today for the right to play in Sunday’s final.