Lorenzo Musetti Calls Carlos Alcaraz ‘Midfield Artist Like Zinedine Zidane’ As He Highlights Spaniard’s Biggest Strength

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz holds a 7-1 head-to-head lead over World No.8 Lorenzo Musetti.

Lorenzo Musetti Calls Carlos Alcaraz ‘Midfield Artist Like Zinedine Zidane’ As He Highlights Spaniard’s Biggest Strength

Lorenzo Musetti, Zinedine Zidane, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Sky Sports, X/TNT Sports, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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The tennis season has ended, and players are either vacationing, spending time at home with families, or appearing in podcasts, among other things. On the men’s tour, the most successful player in terms of title tally was Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard took home six titles from 11 finals, including five Big Titles he won at the French Open and the US Open. The last match of this season was against his arch-rival, Jannik Sinner, in the championship clash of the ATP Finals. Alcaraz lost the tight straight-set match, and this helped Sinner improve his win-loss record on indoor hardcourts to 31 matches and his head-to-head record over Alcaraz to 6-10.

Following the ATP Finals, several players flocked to Bologna for the Davis Cup Finals. Both Sinner and Alcaraz skipped the tournament.

While Sinner wanted an extra week off, Alcaraz suffered a hamstring injury during the ATP Finals against the four-time Grand Slam champion. Lorenzo Musetti also chose not to feature as he had been playing non-stop tennis.

Musetti qualified for the ATP Finals after Novak Djokovic‘s withdrawal. In the season-ending championships, the 23-year-old lost to Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz and defeated Alex de Minaur, failing to progress to the semifinals. He recently sat for an interview with Small Talk, during which he was asked who he would like to compare Alcaraz with from the footballing world. Musetti chose Zinedine Zidane.

I would say an artist, a midfield artist like Zinedine Zidane. Very, let’s say, inventive, who draws. Then, in midfield, he has a role where he distributes the ball. I see a lot of similarity in that. Personality, he [Zidane] was a player who always played with his head held high. Carlos is also very, very strong in that aspect. I mean, if he decides to do something, he does it with a lot of authority. He doesn’t worry too much.

Lorenzo Musetti said

Musetti once again failed to win a title. This year, he reached three finals: in Monte Carlo, Chengdu, and Athens, losing them to Alcaraz, Alejandro Tabilo, and Djokovic. The two-time ATP winner, in fact, has lost six finals since winning the 2022 Tennis Napoli Cup.’

Jack Draper wants to follow Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Jack Draper hasn’t yet played a match since defeating Federico Agustin Gomez in the first round of the US Open. An arm injury forced him to end his season then.

Jack Draper Vuori US Open 2025
Jack Draper (image via Matt Fitzgerald)

Earlier this season, the Brit reached three finals. He lost the Qatar Open final to Andrey Rublev, then took home his career’s first Big Title by defeating Holger Rune at Indian Wells. Draper progressed to another Masters 1000 final in Madrid, but couldn’t end the event in his favor, losing the match to Casper Ruud. During his recent interview with The Tennis Mentor, Draper talked about improving his game so that he can play freely like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

It was that moment in my head where I thought, if I want to be a really great player, then I have to be a complete player, not just someone who is going to make them miss. Also, from my perspective, it is a fun way of playing tennis. You watch guys like Alcaraz and Sinner at the moment, and they are playing so freely. I think that is a big part of the sport right now, to just express yourself on the court.

Draper’s name is often taken whenever there’s a discussion about who would be the third player to challenge the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner. The six-time Grand Slam champion holds a 4-2 head-to-head lead over the World No.10. Against Sinner, Draper is tied at 1-1.

Also read: Maria Sharapova Makes Feelings Known About On-court Coaching by Citing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Example