Lorenzo Musetti Reveals He and Novak Djokovic ‘Had a Laugh’ About Serb’s Last-Minute ATP Finals Withdrawal

Lorenzo Musetti got the chance to play the ATP Finals only because Novak Djokovic decided to skip it. To qualify, the Italian needed to win the Hellenic Championship, but as he failed to beat the Serb in the final, Felix Auger-Aliassime became the eighth player to qualify.

Djokovic kept saying that he would only reveal whether he would feature in the year-end championship only after the Athens event. And he did reveal, after winning the Hellenic Championship, that for the second consecutive time, he won’t be playing the ATP Finals. Prior to his announcement, he communicated the same to Musetti during the customary handshake following their match.

Well, I think Novak was completely within the rules of the ATP, of the tournament itself. Of course, I think the strange situation was that he was playing literally the week before the Masters. That could be a little bit strange for a player who is already qualified. But that’s the only thing.

Lorenzo Musetti said during the pre-tournament press conference

The win helped Djokovic improve his head-to-head record over the 23-year-old to 9-1. It was also their second encounter this season following the fourth round of the Miami Open, which Djokovic won and later played the final, only to suffer defeat at the hands of Jakub Mensik.

Of course, when he told me at the net after the match that he was not coming, honestly, we had a laugh about it. I was curious all week. I was curious if he was coming or not. Of course, I was trying to focus on myself. I think I made a good work at that, even if I didn’t win the final.

Lorenzo Musetti added

Musetti, who is placed in Group Jimmy Connors, will be making his debut on November 10 against Taylor Fritz, against whom he holds a 3-2 head-to-head edge. Djokovic has ended his season with two titles, both ATP 250s. Last year, the season ended at the Shanghai Masters with a straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final.

Prior to the Athens Open, the 38-year-old clinched the Geneva Open by beating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. Djokovic, also the ATP Finals’ most successful player (won seven titles), last lifted the year-end championship in 2023 by defeating current defending champion Sinner.

Lorenzo Musetti on the ATP Finals qualification pressure

Lorenzo Musetti had to deal with a tremendous amount of pressure in the past few weeks. He lost his second final of the season at the Chengdu Open to Alejandro Tabilo, and although he made deep runs in the other events on the Asian swing, it still wasn’t enough to grant him a spot in the top eight. On top of that, there was uncertainty about Novak Djokovic‘s participation.

At this point in the season, everyone feels the fatigue, both physically and mentally. I pushed hard to make it to these Finals, maybe too hard, and for one reason or another, I didn’t enjoy certain aspects. Perhaps I pressured myself too much in some tournaments.

Lorenzo Musetti said at the press conference

After Fritz, Musetti will lock horns with six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and later against Alex de Minaur. The 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist hasn’t yet claimed a title since winning his career’s second trophy at the 2022 Napoli Open.

This is the first time two Italian players will be featuring in the year-end tournament (the second player is Jannik Sinner). This year, Musetti lost three finals. Prior to the Chengdu and Hellenic Championships, Musetti lost the Monte Carlo Masters to Alcaraz. It was the first time Musetti played a Masters 1000 final.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Reveals Whether She Had Talks with WTA for Stefano Vukov Ban After CEO Photo Snub

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