How Simone Tartarini guided Lorenzo Musetti from 8-year-old to Top 10

ATP Coach Spotlight

Not a real coach? 'Teacher' Tartarini steers Musetti from 8-year-old to Top 10

Italian is subject of June's ATP Coach Spotlight

ATP Tour Simone Tartarini has guided Lorenzo Musetti to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings. By Jerome Coombe

When Simone Tartarini made the pivotal decision to leave his club in La Spezia, Italy, he couldn’t have foreseen the remarkable journey that would unfold alongside his protege.

A self-described tennis “teacher” rather than a coach, Tartarini has guided Lorenzo Musetti since the age of eight. Recognising the young Italian’s exceptional potential, he eventually chose to leave behind his professional stability to fully dedicate himself to shaping Musetti into a world-class player.

“A really important turning point came when Lorenzo was 14,” Tartarini told ATPTour.com. “That’s when I made the decision to invest in him professionally and financially. I left my tennis club and started travelling the world with him to help him grow.

“I had a club where I was working and earning a living, but I left to travel with this boy, often going to France, looking for hitting partners, fitness coaches, people who could help us… That was the first stepping stone of this great project that has grown more and more over time.”

That leap of faith is now paying off. Under Tartarini’s tutelage, Musetti has climbed to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings following a standout start to 2025. He became just the sixth player to reach the semi-finals of all three clay ATP Masters 1000 events and Roland Garros in the same season.

Their story didn’t begin with that departure, however: Tartarini has spent 15 years nurturing Musetti ever since he was an eight-year-old, watching him evolve from a boy into a man — and now a father himself. Though referred to as a coach, Tartarini embraces the title of “teacher”, a role he holds with pride.

“I was born not as a coach but as a tennis teacher,” said Tartarini. “Lorenzo came to me when he was eight years old in my tennis school and from there, I started a path of teaching.

“Being a tennis teacher, I took a little boy at eight and a half years old and I took him to No. 6 in the world. We travelled all over the world together. Lorenzo has gone from a young boy, to a teenager, and now to an adult and a father. It's a path that we’ve been on together: We've grown together in every sense of the word over the past 15 years.”

In the early years, Tartarini and Musetti often shared hotel rooms to save money, spending more time with each other than with their respective families. Tartarini was quick to credit Musetti’s parents for their “incredible trust” during those times.

That off-court closeness has been a pillar of their on-court success. Over time, Tartarini has become not just a mentor, but a father figure, offering stability and consistency that has translated into results.

“I’ve grown my skills over the years. I've been fortunate to be in important environments, with important coaches, so this has allowed me to grow professionally,” said Tartarini. “I think I’ve had the humility and fortune to be side by side with competent people along the way that have formed me as a coach, but I remain of the idea that I am a teacher.”

Lorenzo Musetti and Simone Tartarini. Photo: Team Musetti.

Despite his humility, Tartarini has faced criticism over the years. He does not fit the mold of a traditional coach: He is not an ex-player himself nor did he have prior experience among the sport’s elite.

“There was another important block, maybe the most important one since he became a professional player,” reflected Tartarini. “It’s related to the stigma of being the coach who took the kid from school. Coming from a certain part of the media and the tennis world, there was a feeling of being inadequate.

“After the first defeats, people would say ‘He’s not a real coach,’ or ‘He has no experience.’ So we had to fight against these attitudes. There is obviously the fact that Lorenzo and I have a strong relationship, built on strong values. So we had to close the circle and focus on what’s important.”

Tartarini has always placed incredible importance on the technical side of the game. He has prioritised preserving Musetti’s natural flair — highlighted by his stylish one-handed backhand — while building resilience and competitiveness.

After winning the 2019 Australian Open boys’ singles title, Musetti broke into the spotlight, capturing two ATP Tour titles in 2022 and entering the Top 30. But with that rise came the challenge of maintaining consistency.

“Now, as a player, he’s someone who accepts things more,” said Tartarini of the 23-year-old Musetti. “In the past, when things weren’t going so well, he struggled to cope. He struggled to accept playing badly or hitting the ball poorly. He’s very attached to the technical side of the game, and being a feel-based player, when he didn't feel the ball well, he used to completely lose the match.

“This year, little by little, that maturity off the court has started to show on the court. He has begun to accept himself more — as he says, he’s learning to get his hands dirty a bit more. So, matches he used to lose, he’s now managing to win. But it’s still a journey and he isn’t finished yet. Maybe it will take another year or two, but I really believe [his success] is mostly tied to what’s happening off the court, more than anything else.”

Musetti’s stellar performances over the past year have silenced any lingering doubts about his potential. His crowning achievement came at the Paris Olympics, where he made history by becoming the first Italian tennis player to win an Olympic medal since Uberto de Morpurgo in 1924.

Simone Tartarini and Lorenzo Musetti celebrate after winning the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: Team Musetti.

Now standing alongside World No. 1 Jannik Sinner as the frontrunners for the sport in his country, Musetti is at the heart of a renaissance in Italian tennis — one that Tartarini observes with pride and reverence.

“Italy is like the diamond in the sky of the world of tennis at the moment,” said Tartarini. “For Lorenzo and I, winning the Olympic medal was probably the most emotional moment, it was a massive achievement after 100 years. Reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam is great, but you don’t walk away with the hardware, so this was a massive stepping stone for us.

“Lorenzo feels a responsibility [when representing Italian tennis], but he feels it in a positive way. It’s the appreciation that comes from the crowd, the media, the people who are following him and loving the sport. He wants to make sure kids feel inspired and that he is representing the sport in the best manner.”

At fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Musetti is closing in on another milestone: qualifying for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals on home soil. By his side, Tartarini is there, quietly guiding, teaching and supporting from just behind the spotlight.

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