Lorenzo Musetti once said he was used to playing with pressure.
It helps explain how he has flourished in his short time on the professional circuit; he is already nearing the top 20 after a memorable past six months.
But there are likely other factors helping the Italian – who will represent his country at the inaugural United Cup to open 2023 – manage the expectations that follow a player who has been identified as one of the sport’s hottest prospects.
In short? Musetti’s existence is not solely defined by tennis. And this helps release the pressure valve.
“Besides tennis, there's a lot of other ways to discover yourself and find the peace in yourself,” he told ausopen.com.
“I would say probably music, it's one of my favourite passions. I like so much listening to music and having chats with my friends about new songs, about new playlists and stuff like that.
TICKETS: Catch Lorenzo Musetti in action at AO 2023
“I also really like to go to the sea; I think these two are my biggest passions besides tennis.”
Music – Musetti loves older rock music after being introduced to it by his father – and time outside in nature are pursuits both considered good for the soul.
Considering these passions, the youngster’s response made perfect sense when we asked him to consider his purpose. (His ‘why’, his reason for being, what gets him out of bed, or however else one considers it).
“I wake up because I like to live, you know?” Musetti said.
“I like to share good moments with my family when I'm at home. When I'm in the tournament, I like to stay in the tour, I like to visit (places), I like to see something new.
"I have everything I need; I'm happy with the job I've decided. I'm happy with my family, my friends. I cannot complain (about anything).”
Success on the tennis court also helps when it comes to having no complaints.
In 2022, Musetti soared from outside the top 70 (in mid June) to a career-high ranking of world No.23 just four months later.
And he did so playing with impressive style and imagination; his one-handed backhand and ability to improvise are both noteworthy aspects of his shot-making.
Clay affords him the most time and space to deploy these weapons, but there were obvious signs of his hard-court prowess, too.
UNITED CUP TICKETS: See Musetti's backhands fly for Team Italy in Brisbane
After winning, in July, his first ATP title on clay in Hamburg – he beat soon-to-be-world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz in the final – he then collected his second on the hard courts of Naples, beating United Cup teammate Matteo Berrettini in that final.
Then came a run to the quarterfinals on indoor hard courts at the Paris Masters, where his conquests included Marin Cilic and top-five star Casper Ruud.
"Not everything is smooth, but I think I had a really good process,” said Musetti of his journey to this point, earlier boosted by his victory at the AO 2019 junior tournament.
“I was always like really fast on the results, I was really a kid when I started to make good results.
“So I think also the results, and the fact that I was playing really good for my age, it helped me to stick with tennis.”
When Musetti says he is used to playing with pressure, it is for this reason – he has been earmarked as a future star for some time.
When 2023 begins, he will again be dealing with that pressure, and a bigger target on his back. But with his well-rounded approach, he will be confident he can handle it.
Fans will get the chance to see him navigate this Down Under at both the United Cup and Australian Open 2023, where he will aim to leap to even higher heights.