Lorenzo Sonego

Why a win over Djokovic came from a lucky-loser entry

At Vienna in 2020, Sonego entered the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in qualifying. He then beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6–2, 6–1 and reached the final, losing to Andrey Rublev. Lucky loser describes an entry route, not an assessment of playing ability.

• Lorenzo Sonego · Wikipedia ↗

Three surfaces, different kinds of evidence

Sonego added a hard-court title in Winston-Salem in 2024, defeating Alex Michelsen in the final, to titles already won on grass and clay. He is listed at 191 cm and plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand.

• Lorenzo Sonego · Wikipedia ↗

Roland Garros 2023: rebuilding after 5–7, 0–6

In the third round of Roland Garros 2023, Sonego beat seventh seed Andrey Rublev 5–7, 0–6, 6–3, 7–6(5), 6–3. It was his first career win from two sets down and his first top-10 victory at a major. At that point he equalled his best major round, the last 16; the first quarterfinal came later, in Melbourne in 2025.

In the contemporary Tennis Majors report, Sonego said he was two sets down after an hour and focused on playing each point with the right attitude, with the crowd helping him. His account describes how he experienced the recovery. The scoreboard shows that winning the third set was only the beginning: he still had to win a fourth-set tiebreak and another full set.

His 19–17 third-set tiebreak against Taylor Fritz at the same event in 2020 is a separate example of an extended finish. For a useful comparison, track the start of each point: the serve direction, the depth of the return and the first ball the server can attack. That helps locate a repeatable advantage inside a long match, beyond the length of the score itself.

• Lorenzo Sonego · Wikipedia ↗
• Tennis Majors · Sonego–Rublev, 2 June 2023 ↗

The first major quarterfinal: sustained attack against Shelton

Sonego reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2025 Australian Open after wins over João Fonseca and Learner Tien. On 22 January, Ben Shelton stopped him 6–4, 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(4). Simon Cambers’ official tournament report identifies Sonego as world No. 55 at that time, placing this breakthrough in its January 2025 context.

The report records Sonego coming to the net 90 times and winning 67 of those points. It also lists 55 unforced errors for Sonego and 33 for Shelton. A successful net-point total and a losing score can coexist: the points played from other positions and the distribution across service games still count. Those error totals provide a second view of the overall performance alongside the successful net points.

In the second set, Sonego recovered to 5–5 only to lose serve again in the next game. He took the third by breaking in its tenth game. In the fourth-set tiebreak, a missed forehand volley put Shelton ahead 5–4 with two serves to come. Each passage asks a different question: completing a recovery, creating a late break, then executing a volley in a short deciding sequence.

• Simon Cambers · Australian Open · Shelton–Sonego, 22 January 2025 ↗

Read the approach, the first volley and the next position

The 67 successful net points are not 67 clean volley winners. A net point can also end with a passing error or another shot, so the count evaluates the outcome of coming forward. To learn from it, separate the approach ball that enabled the move, the height of the first volley and the space left for the next shot. That is more specific than copying how often a professional approaches.

Sonego’s diving backhand volley in the opening game of the second set saved a break point; the fourth-set tiebreak contained the costly forehand-volley miss. Keep both in view. When testing an approach pattern, record whether the entry ball leaves you a comfortable first volley and whether you can cover the reply. Those repeatable conditions offer more guidance than choosing a tactic from either a spectacular save or one decisive miss.

• Simon Cambers · Australian Open · Shelton–Sonego, 22 January 2025 ↗

Add one condition to a practice tiebreak

After each point, briefly check whether you executed the intended serve direction and next-shot target. Record the proportion of points in which you carried out those first two choices rather than counting winners alone.

Change the plan when the receiver’s position warrants it. Before switching every target after an error, identify what the opponent actually anticipated. This is a practice suggestion, not a claim about Sonego’s own match instructions.