Lorenzo Musetti feels the ‘aura’ of Carlos Alcaraz after being beaten by him in the Monte Carlo final
Lorenzo Musetti has had a career-defining last 12 months, highlighted by his first Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti (via Instagram/ATP)
Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti ended a promising week in Monte Carlo on a disappointing note, as an injury affected his performance in the final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Wimbledon semifinalist won the first set but couldn’t stay physically strong throughout the match.
Despite the physical issues, Musetti took many positives from his time in Monte Carlo. He also acknowledged Alcaraz’s strong presence on the court, even when he was in control during the early stages of the match.
I mean, Carlos is already a legend of this sport, even if he’s younger than me. He’s a record-breaker, and on court sometimes you feel, you know, his aura, how do you say. But today honestly I think I played a fantastic first set, which I made him change something in his game. Probably if I was, like, 100% physically, I could be more there and to stay there with more energy. That’s what you need to try to beat someone like Carlos. Of course, as I said on court, I will try to get the revenge against him hopefully soon.
Lorenzo Musetti said in his post-match press conference (H/T: Punto de Break)
Although he lost in Monte Carlo, the past 12 months have been full of highlights for Musetti. He is part of the Italian tennis team that has made a major impact on both the ATP and WTA tours, winning the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.
For Musetti personally, he reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon last year. He also won his first Olympic medal in Paris, securing bronze. Now, he has added his first Masters 1000 final appearance in Monte Carlo to his list of achievements.
Carlos Alcaraz draw for Barcelona Open revealed
The draw for the 2025 Barcelona Open is out, and a rematch between Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils could be on the cards. Both young stars are placed in the top half and might face each other in the semi-finals. Their last match in Monte Carlo was a thriller, with Fils coming close to a big win.
Fils had chances to close it in the second set but couldn’t finish. Alcaraz saved three break points at 5-5 and then broke Fils to take the set. In the final set, Fils led 3-1 but couldn’t hold on. Alcaraz fought back and won the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
In Barcelona, Alcaraz is the top seed and will start against a qualifier. If he wins, he will face either Tomas Machac or Frances Tiafoe next. A possible quarter-final with Alex de Minaur could follow, depending on earlier results.
Fils, seeded seventh, begins against Pablo Carreno Busta. If he advances, he may meet third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals. On the other side of the draw, defending champion Casper Ruud starts against a qualifier and might face Holger Rune in the last eight.
Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti learn their ATP rankings
Jannik Sinner, despite serving a three-month suspension, stayed at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. His lead was big enough before Monte Carlo that even after losing 400 points from his 2024 semi-final run, no one could catch him.
Alexander Zverev needed to win the title to have a shot at overtaking Sinner. However, he has ended up relinquishing the No.2 spot to Carlos Alcaraz. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, ranked No. 5, needed a strong showing to move back into the top four, especially with No. 4 Taylor Fritz out due to injury.
The gap between No. 6 Jack Draper and No. 10 Alex de Minaur was only 345 points. That left the door open for big shifts in the top 10. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, last year’s Monte Carlo finalists, were also in the mix to gain ground.
Sinner’s top spot remains safe, especially after Zverev lost early to Matteo Berrettini. Djokovic’s first-match loss cost him 390 points, leaving him over 1,000 points behind Fritz. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti achieved his career high-ranking of World No.11 after reaching the Monte Carlo final.
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