Lorenzo Musetti admits Carlos Alcaraz is his ‘biggest challenge’ right now ahead of vital Miami Open clash

The Italian will be facing Alcaraz for the second time on a hard court.

Lorenzo Musetti admits Carlos Alcaraz is his ‘biggest challenge’ right now ahead of vital Miami Open clash

Lorenzo Musetti, Carlos Alcaraz (Images via Imago)

Italian ATP star Lorenzo Musetti is nothing but in awe of his next opponent at the 2024 Miami Open. As the 22-year-old beat Ben Shelton in the third round of the Masters tournament to set up a pre-quarterfinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz, Musetti called it his biggest challenge. 

The Italian heaped massive praise on Alcaraz, calling his matchup with the Spanish ace his inspiration. Musetti said that he is eagerly waiting to take the case to court against Alcaraz. The 22-year-old also hailed Alcaraz as a great athlete and a great human being.

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Musetti is excited about the challenge and is hoping to beat the World No. 2 player. The Italian, who trails 1-2 in the head-to-head record against Alcaraz, is optimistic about his chances this time around.

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Of course. It’s always a nice challenge. Especially for me. I have a huge friendship with him. We played so many battles on court. He’s up in the score. Hopefully, I can win this time. I really look forward to playing him. He’s a great person. A great human being. A great athlete. For me, it’s an inspiration. Hopefully, I can give my best & try to win that match.
Lorenzo Musetti said about his match against Carlos Alcaraz.

Notably, while Musetti has managed to beat Alcaraz on a clay court, the Italian has lost the only match the duo has played on a hard court.

Lorenzo Musetti eyeing an inspiring win over Carlos Alcaraz

Lorenzo Musetti is a rising talent and has been trying hard to land his third tour-level title of his career and the first title since the 2022 Napoli Cup. The Italian has not been able to live up to expectations as he has suffered back-to-back first-round exits. 

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Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X)

In the 2024 season as well, Musetti has played in eight tournaments before the 2024 Miami Open and has suffered first-round exits in three of them. However, the 22-year-old performed decently at the Indian Wells Open, reaching the third round where he lost to Holger Rune.

Now, Musetti has managed a pre-quarterfinal qualification at the Miami Open. The Italian shocked Ben Shelton in the third round. Musetti clinched the first set 6-4 and despite a fightback from Shelton in the second set, the Italian won it in a tiebreaker. He eventually won the match 6-4, 7-6 (5).

Musetti will be up against a rejuvenated Alcaraz who has found his lost rhythm following a title-winning performance at the Indian Wells Open. It will be really interesting to see if Musetti can produce an inspiring performance against the Spanish ace in the fourth round.

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