Unexpected dark horse primed to win French Open

As the tennis world celebrates the rise of emerging stars such as Jack Draper, Jakub Mensik and Mirra Andreeva, there is a dark horse — Lorenzo Musetti — who is quietly ascending from the shadows.

The 23-year-old began the new season without a single ATP100 semi-finals appearance or a win against a top-10 player at a major. He was regarded as a fringe top-15 player, not a threat to make any noise. 

In just a few months, he has reached the final four at all three clay 1000s, including a runner-up finish in Monte Carlo, and checked off another box with a win over World No. 10 Holger Rune in the fourth round of the French Open on Sunday. 

If Musetti can knock off Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinal, he will most likely face reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal. Although Alcaraz will start as the favorite, Musetti is playing at a very high level right now, highlighted by his 17-3 record on clay this spring. 

Musetti knows he's on the upward trajectory. On Sunday, he finally beat a top-10 opponent at a major after going 0-5 in previous such instances, not to mention 0-3 in the round of 16 at Roland-Garros. The Italian attributes his newfound success to a shift in mentality. 

"It's incredible," Musetti said of his breakthrough win. "Yesterday night, I was dreaming about playing like this ... I had to raise the level, and I've done it, and I'm really, really proud of myself ... I've put some more order in what I do on the court. I've started to complain a little bit less and think a little bit more, and that's what I did tonight, also ... It made me come back with another mentality, another attitude, and it's this kind of attitude that's made me improve on the court."