The sun had barely set over the clay courts of Monte Carlo when Carlos Alcaraz, fresh off his victory in the 2025 Rolex Monte Carlo Masters final, turned the spotlight onto his opponent, Lorenzo Musetti. The 21-year-old Spaniard, now a six-time Masters 1000 champion, didn’t just claim the trophy with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 win—he offered a bold vision for Musetti’s future. “We are going to see Lorenzo Musetti in the top 10,” Alcaraz declared to the packed Court Rainier III crowd, his voice brimming with conviction. “I think I’m sure of it, and I will see Musetti fighting for great things in our sport.” It was a moment that transcended the scoreline, highlighting the camaraderie and mutual respect between two of tennis’s brightest young stars.
The final itself was a tale of two halves. Musetti, the 23-year-old Italian, came out swinging, his one-handed backhand carving angles that left Alcaraz scrambling. He seized the first set 6-3, playing what he later called some of his best tennis. “In this final, I was very clear about what I had to do,” Musetti said, reflecting on a first set where he felt the ball perfectly and dictated play with confidence. But a quadriceps issue, which had nagged him since morning warm-ups, worsened as the match wore on. Alcaraz, sensing opportunity, shifted gears, returning closer to the baseline and unleashing his forehand to dominate the second set 6-1. By the third, Musetti’s movement faltered, and Alcaraz closed out a 6-0 rout, though not without sympathy. “It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” Alcaraz said, acknowledging Musetti’s “tough week” of long matches. “I feel sorry for him. Hopefully it is nothing serious.”
Musetti’s run to his maiden Masters 1000 final was no fluke. He’d toppled heavyweights like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, showcasing the clay-court pedigree that earned him a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year. His 11 career wins over Top 10 players—seven on clay—signal a player on the cusp of greatness. “After this, of course, we are already focused on other goals, on trying to be ambitious and motivate ourselves even more,” Musetti said, eyeing a Top 10 debut. At No. 11 in the live rankings, just 15 points shy of Casper Ruud, he’s tantalizingly close. Alcaraz, who’s faced him five times, sees no ceiling. “I’m not surprised that Lorenzo is pretty close to be top 10,” he said. “He has potential to be there. He beat top-10 players many times. He faced the best players in the world.”
Alcaraz’s praise wasn’t just about numbers—it was personal. The two have grown up battling each other, from junior circuits to their 2022 Hamburg final, where Musetti won his only match against the Spaniard. “He can play really tough matches match after match,” Alcaraz noted, impressed by Musetti’s endurance. “He’s learning how to suffer in the matches.” For Musetti, the physical toll of Monte Carlo—over 11 hours on court across five matches—proved his grit, even if it left him hobbled. “The toughness of the whole week, of the long matches I played, was what took its toll on me today,” he admitted, vowing to return stronger after withdrawing from Barcelona to recover.
This wasn’t just a final; it was a glimpse into tennis’s future. Alcaraz, now No. 2 in the world, tied Daniil Medvedev for the 10th-most Masters 1000 titles at age 21. Musetti, with his elegant game and unrelenting drive, is knocking on the elite’s door. “Right now, that’s probably the main goal of the season: we’re close enough to keep fighting and keep dreaming,” Musetti said, his ambition undimmed by defeat. As Alcaraz predicted big things—“he has the weapons, he has the level”—the tennis world nodded in agreement. Monte Carlo may have crowned one champion, but it showcased two warriors whose rivalry promises to light up the sport for years to come.