Lorenzo Musetti faced a tense week, but the Italian achieved his goal of qualifying for the ATP Finals. Initially on track to secure a spot in the season-ending tournament, a setback at the Paris Masters allowed Felix Auger-Aliassime to surpass him in the Race to Turin.
Musetti knew his fate was in his own hands as he entered the ATP 250 event in Athens. Winning the tournament would secure his place at the ATP Finals, while anything less would see Auger-Aliassime claim the final spot.
Despite falling to Novak Djokovic in the final, Musetti’s qualification was confirmed as Djokovic withdrew from the year-end Finals, granting Musetti entry. The quick transition from his narrow defeat in Athens to the ATP Finals in Turin saw him facing Taylor Fritz on Monday.
Expressing his joy on social media, Musetti shared, “A dream that comes true,” along with a photo of himself and his team en route to Italy. Although aiming for his third career title at the Hellenic Championship, Musetti had to settle for second place after previous final losses earlier in the season.
Following his match with Djokovic, Musetti revealed that Djokovic informed him on the court about not attending the Turin event. Musetti supported Djokovic’s decision to delay the withdrawal announcement until the last moment, acknowledging it was within the tournament rules.
With Djokovic’s withdrawal, the ATP had to quickly find a replacement alternate. Casper Ruud stepped in as the second alternate after Alexander Bublik moved up to the first alternate position. Both Ruud and Bublik stand to earn £118k as alternates, with the potential for increased fees if they are required to play.
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