Lorenzo Musetti is proving that his red-hot clay-court form is no fluke. The in-form Italian made an emphatic start to his French Open campaign on Sunday, sweeping past German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets—7-5, 6-2, 6-0—on the iconic Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 23-year-old eighth seed, who recently broke into the ATP Top 10 for the first time, looked every bit the rising star the tennis world is buzzing about. After a relatively tight opening set, Musetti shifted gears and never looked back, winning the final 11 games of the match in a masterclass of controlled aggression and court craft.
Hanfmann managed to stay competitive early on but faded as Musetti’s quality and consistency overwhelmed him. The German failed to hold serve after the third game of the second set, and the Italian needed just 29 minutes to close out the third.
Fresh off a semi-final run at Wimbledon and strong clay-court performances this season, Musetti is clearly riding a wave of momentum. In April, he made it to the final of the Monte Carlo Masters—only to be halted by Carlos Alcaraz. That performance was followed by back-to-back semi-final appearances at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, cementing his status as one of the most dangerous players on clay in 2024.
“This month has been incredible. I’ve reached many of my goals,” Musetti shared after his victory. “But I think the best is yet to come. I’ve found a way to make the click I needed—to take that next step in my game and in the rankings.”
Musetti’s next challenge will come against either French wildcard Valentin Royer or Colombian lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan in the second round at Roland Garros.
Elsewhere on Day One in Paris:
American 12th seed Tommy Paul overcame a sluggish start to defeat Denmark’s Elmer Moeller 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 6-1, while fellow American and 15th seed Frances Tiafoe earned a straight-set win over Roman Safiullin, 6-4 7-5 6-4.
However, there were early upsets in the men’s draw. Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo sent 32nd seed Alex Michelsen packing in straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-4), and another Argentine, Mariano Navone, outplayed 28th seed Brandon Nakashima in four sets, 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
With stars like Musetti showing promise and early surprises already unfolding, the 2025 French Open is shaping up to be as thrilling as ever.
