Lorenzo Musetti Asks to Use Phone During Long Match Due to Anti-Doping Rules
The Italian tennis player had to halt his quarterfinal match at the Lyon tournament to address an anti-doping location reminder.
During an unusual turn of events at the ATP 250 tournament in Lyon, professional tennis player Lorenzo Musetti had to request permission to use his mobile phone mid-match because of an anti-doping alert scheduled for 1:00 AM. The 24-year-old athlete faced this strange situation in his quarterfinal matchup against France's Luca Van Assche, which stretched far longer than expected.
Musetti ultimately triumphed over his opponent with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 6-4 after battling on the court for three hours and 33 minutes. However, a matter entirely unrelated to tennis quickly became one of the most talked-about highlights of the evening as the match extended past midnight.
Prior to the match, the Italian player had scheduled himself to be available for a potential anti-doping test at his registered location during the night. Not anticipating that the contest would run so late, the designated hour arrived while he was still actively competing. During a changeover in the third set, Musetti approached ATP supervisor Rogério Santos to ask for authorization to check his phone.
"My anti-doping alarm is set for 1:00 AM," Musetti explained to officials. Granted permission to manage the reminder, the temporary usage drew immediate notice since players are normally prohibited from using mobile devices during matches. Tennis journalist José Morgado reported the incident on social media, while commentator Rob Koenig expressed his astonishment on X by writing, "I had never seen that before."
Professional tennis players must strictly follow anti-doping regulations throughout the entire season. Those included in the registered testing pool are required to supply precise location data so that authorities can conduct unannounced screenings. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), utilizing a system linked to the World Anti-Doping Agency's ADAMS platform, requires athletes to keep their whereabouts completely up to date, including daily designated one-hour windows for testing, even while traveling or participating in tournaments.
According to the ITIA, accumulating three whereabouts failures over a 12-month period can lead to serious sanctions, encompassing missed tests or improperly submitted information. Although Musetti wanted to prevent any complications with his data, there was no indication that he had missed a test or violated any rules. He initially hoped to finish well before his reminder, but instead found himself playing one of his longest matches of the season.
The grueling schedule did not end in the quarterfinals, as Musetti returned to the courts on Saturday to face compatriot and friend Flavio Cobolli in the semifinals. Despite the physical toll of his late-night match, Musetti overcame a first-set deficit to defeat the top seed 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, saving four match points while serving at 4-5 in the deciding set.
Advancing to the final, the Italian scheduled a championship clash against American Taylor Fritz in Lyon. Having dealt with physical setbacks earlier in the season, Musetti aims to recover quickly from his demanding encounters and secure his third career ATP singles title.