Top-10 tennis star hits back at trolls 'attacking' pregnant girlfriend who works at Sky

Lorenzo Musetti has claimed that his family - including his pregnant girlfriend, Veronica Confalonieri - have been targeted by vile online trolls. The tennis World No. 8 has enjoyed a stellar career on the ATP Tour to date, but that hasn't prevented social media users from mercilessly sliding into his DMs to share messages of hatred.

The 23-year-old told Spacio Tennis: "I don't understand the point of all these insults, especially when they are directed at my girlfriend. That's why I removed all the people I don't follow from my profile. I don't want to receive insults from people who lose bets and think I'm selling matches anymore."

The Italian tennis ace has also received criticism for his decision not to participate in the recent Davis Cup, despite citing his reasoning as the fact that he and his girlfriend are currently expecting a child together. He added: "We're going to become parents for the second time soon."

Musetti has been romantically involved with Confalonieri since 2022, making their relationship public in the December before welcoming their first child together, Ludovico, in March 2024. In May this year, meanwhile, the two broke the news that they are expecting a second baby.

Taking to Instagram to share a snap of himself and his son holding their hands on top of Confalonieri's baby bump, he wrote: "The family is growing," in a post which was quickly congratulated by a number of his peers. Carlos Alcaraz sent a number of heart-eyed emojis, while Jasmine Paolini posted a string of love hearts.

A graphic designer for Sky Italia, Confalonieri also dabbled in the world of tennis before she began dating Musetti. In May 2020, she was spotted sharing a selection of snaps of herself on the courts on her Instagram, which boasts 31,000 followers. She also played at the Sanremo Tennis Team, a top Italian school which offers training programs for players of all ages.

She is also frequently spotted supporting her beau at tennis matches worldwide, including the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. While he is yet to win a Grand Slam over the course of his career, Musetti has seen success with his nation at the Davis Cup, helping Italy win the competition in 2023 and 2024.

He also clinched a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer. It is thought that Musetti could climb the rankings in 2026 as he finds his stride and even challenge the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for their top spots in the world of tennis. He is currently ranked No. 8 in the world and earned £3.6million in prize money this year.