Standing between Carlos Alcaraz and year-end World No. 1, ATP Finals opponent Lorenzo Musetti clarifies what he meant by 'easier to beat' comments

Carlos Alcaraz will take on Lorenzo Musetti in his third and final group-stage match at the 2025 ATP Finals on Thursday. While a win against the Italian would confirm his spot in the semifinals, it also has one bigger stake in hand -- the year-end World No. 1 spot.

A victory against Musetti would confirm Alcaraz as the year-end No. 1 over Jannik Sinner, who won the honor last year. Alcaraz regained the No. 1 ranking after winning the US Open this year, but lost it again after an early exit at the Paris Masters.

Standing so between the Spaniard and such a crucial honor, Musetti will be looking to play the match of a lifetime against an opponent he has historically not done well against. After winning their first meeting on tour, he has lost six in a row against Alcaraz, including three losses this year alone.

Interestingly, Musetti had made some comments in his press conference before the match, hinting that he felt Alcaraz was easier to beat here in Turin than the other places they met earlier. Speaking in an interview with Ubitennis, however, the Italian No. 2 has clarified what he meant, stating that he wanted to correct himself.

Musetti insisted that he only wanted to say that Carlos Alcaraz felt more comfortable on clay than the indoor hardcourts at the ATP Finals, adding that that did not mean he thought he was the favorite against the World No. 2 on Thursday.

“I’m not entirely sure what I said earlier, but if so, I’d rather correct myself. What I really meant was that this is probably a surface where Carlos doesn’t feel as comfortable as, for example, clay, where he’s right at home. If it was understood that it would be easier to beat him here, that’s not the case; that’s not what I meant," Musetti said.

Musetti is 1-1 at the ATP Finals so far, losing in his opener to Taylor Fritz before beating Alex de Minaur in a thriller.

Lorenzo Musetti looking to Italian fans to help him against Carlos Alcaraz at ATP Finals

Nitto ATP Finals 2025 - Day 3 - Source: Getty

After his dramatic match point-saving victory in three sets over Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti is hoping that the Italian crowd will back him once again on Thursday against Carlos Alcaraz.

Musetti admitted that he has an uphill battle against Alcaraz, but hoped that being the crowd favorite in Turin will give him a much-needed boost.

“It will be the toughest match in the group. I know him very well because we've faced each other several times in the past, even this season on various surfaces. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that I'll be the crowd favorite in that match. Let's hope they can help me pull off a miracle," Musetti said in the aforementioned interview.

Should Alcaraz lose to Musetti in straight sets and Taylor Fritz beats Alex de Minaur, the World No. 2 could even exit the tournament without qualifying for the semifinals.

Edited by Shyam Kamal