The sun-soaked clay of Monte Carlo’s Court Rainier III was the stage for a gripping final at the 2025 Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, where Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti battled for the prestigious title. The match, anticipated as a clash of youthful brilliance, took a somber turn as Musetti, the 23-year-old Italian, grappled with a worsening injury. Despite his coach’s plea to retire midway through the second set, Musetti’s resolve held firm, driven by a sense of duty to the roaring crowd and his own unyielding spirit. “I’m really disappointed that I could not finish the match in the best way, for the crowd, for all of the support I received this week,” he said afterward, his voice tinged with regret but also pride.
Musetti’s journey to his first Masters 1000 final was a testament to his clay-court artistry. He’d toppled giants like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, wielding his one-handed backhand with flair and resilience. Against Alcaraz, he started strong, seizing the first set 6-3 as the Spaniard struggled with 14 unforced errors. “In this final, I was very clear about what I had to do,” Musetti reflected, recalling how he played some of his best tennis early on. The Italian’s strategy—mixing spin, angles, and aggressive shot-making—had Alcaraz on the ropes, with the packed stands, brimming with Italian fans, erupting in support. For a moment, it seemed Musetti might repeat his 2022 Hamburg upset over Alcaraz, his only win in their five career meetings.
But the tide turned swiftly. Alcaraz, the 21-year-old French Open champion, found his rhythm in the second set, hammering forehands and tightening his game to blitz through 6-1. Musetti, meanwhile, began to falter physically. A quadriceps issue, first noticed during morning warm-ups, grew unbearable. His coach, Simone Tartarini, saw the pain etched on his player’s face and urged him to stop. “Halfway through the second set, I told him to retire, he was in a lot of pain,” Tartarini later shared. “I was thinking about the future, there was a risk of getting hurt.” But Musetti refused, determined to honor the moment. “In a final, I didn’t want to retire,” he insisted, even as his movement waned, leaving him grimacing after missed shots.
The third set was a painful formality. Musetti, barely able to move, received treatment at 0-3 but could only watch as Alcaraz, now a relentless force, closed out a 6-0 rout in one hour and 47 minutes. “The toughness of the whole week, of the long matches I played, was what took its toll on me today,” Musetti admitted, acknowledging the toll of his grueling path—over 11 hours on court, including four three-setters. Alcaraz, empathetic in victory, noted, “It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” expressing hope that Musetti’s injury—a possible strain requiring scans—wouldn’t linger. “Hopefully it is nothing serious,” he added, praising his opponent’s “tough week” of brilliant play.
For Musetti, the loss was bittersweet but transformative. His run earned him a career-high No. 11 ranking, just shy of the Top 10 he’s chasing. “Right now, that’s probably the main goal of the season: we’re close enough to keep fighting and keep dreaming,” he said, already looking ahead despite withdrawing from the Barcelona Open for recovery. Alcaraz, claiming his sixth Masters 1000 title and reclaiming No. 2 in the world, lauded Musetti’s potential. “We are going to see Lorenzo Musetti in the Top 10,” he predicted, citing the Italian’s ability to challenge elite players consistently.
The final, moved to noon to dodge looming rain, showcased tennis’s highs and lows—Musetti’s early magic, Alcaraz’s comeback, and a crowd left torn between awe and sympathy. As Musetti awaits test results, his refusal to quit underscored a fighter’s heart, even in defeat. For Alcaraz, the title marked a triumphant return to clay dominance, but both players left Monte Carlo with stories of grit that will echo into the clay season ahead.