Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti has secured his place in the Madrid Open quarter-finals after defeating Australia's Alex de Miñaur in a match that featured both stellar tennis and a memorable off-court moment.
The 23-year-old Musetti, who earned bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, continues his impressive clay court season with this victory. This marks his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance and ensures he will crack the world's top 10 for the first time in his career.
"In the first set, he had some chances to break my serve, but I managed to control it. In the second set, my forehand made the difference," Musetti explained after the match. "Reaching the top 10 was a long-awaited goal. I've worked very hard to achieve it. I don't want to stop at the quarter-finals; I want to continue."
The match became memorable for another reason when a young fan seized the opportunity during a break to propose to his girlfriend, who joyfully accepted. The two players had contrasting reactions to the romantic moment – a serious De Miñaur remained focused as he was trailing, while Musetti smiled appreciatively at the scene.
According to Statbet analysis, Musetti's recent clay court performances show a remarkable consistency, with the Italian reaching the finals in both Umag (2024) and Monte Carlo, semifinals at the Paris Olympics, and quarter-finals in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
The victory denied De Miñaur his 25th win of 2025, which would have put him ahead of Carlos Alcaraz in the season's win count, as both players currently stand at 24 victories.
Musetti's quarter-final opponent will be Canada's Gabriel Diallo, who staged an impressive comeback against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, winning 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-4. For Musetti, who is competing in Madrid for the fourth time, this tournament represents his best showing yet in the Spanish capital.
"Now I'm facing a tough match that I hope to win," the Italian added, clearly hungry to extend his run beyond the quarter-finals.
