On a day of drama at the 2025 ATP Finals, Lorenzo Musetti saved the best for last.
The 23-year-old was nearly a double break down twice in the final set but he used the energy of the partisan crowd in Turin and engineered a fiery comeback, reeling off the final four games to take out Alex de Minaur 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
Warrior Mode
Facing fatigue and a determined De Minaur, it looked like the Italian was going to come up empty for a second straight time in his Nitto ATP Finals debut. In the deciding set, De Minaur had a break point to go up double break 4-1 and again to go up double break 5-2, but Musetti fought both break points off and capitalized on momentum gained to engineer his first career victory at the ATP Finals.
It will go down as one of the biggest victories in Musetti’s blossoming career.
After the victory he was still flying high, revved up from the experience of having delighted the hometown crowds with showstopping tennis.
“I was really struggling physically because Alex raised the level of the intensity, so I was struggling to find solutions, but then at the end, with a big heart and a big passion for this sport – I don’t know from where – I started to feel better, and to play better, and the support of the crowd was literally amazing so I have to thank them all,” Musetti said.
Musetti became the third Italian player to even win a match at the ATP Finals. He will face Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday as he now entertains hopes of reaching the semifinals – all four players in the Jimmy Connors Group still have a chance to make it through.
“I’m a warrior, honestly,” Musetti said. “I think I improved a lot on the mental side and of course I am pushing myself to the limit because I am playing every match with the top players, and I know that the next one is against Carlos. I know how difficult it is especially in these conditions – I will try to enjoy and fight like I have done today.”
Musetti’s elation was De Minaur’s heartbreak. The Aussie drops to 0-5 lifetime at the tour’s season-ending championships, and he must be wondering what he has to do to earn a win at the ATP Finals. As the first Aussie to qualify in singles since Leyton Hewitt in 2004, De Minaur was shutout on his debut last year, losing all three round robin matches.
He will try to get on the board on Thursday against Taylor Fritz.
Tuesday’s thrillride was not short on highlight fodder. It was a match that featured a point that might go down in 2025’s Top 10, a 31-stroke rally that was won by De Minaur with a smash and concluded with both players on the court in exhaustion.
Musetti cracked 22 winners on the day, while De Minaur hit 34. The difference was in the unforced errors, with the Aussie producing 44 and Musetti just 28. In the end there was not much between the two players.
It came down to will, and nerves, and suprisingly it was Musetti who held up better.
De Minaur served for the match at 5-4, and served for a tiebreak at 5-6, but could not hold off Musetti, who had found his second wind by that time. The world No. 9 hit a brilliant passing shot to close out the battle in two hours and 47 minutes as the crowd inside the Inalpi Arena erupted.
Musetti went into the crowd immediately to find his team and embrace them, while his longtime girlfriend looked on with tears in her eyes.
Musetti improves to 6-9 against the Top 10 this year – the Italian is one of just four men to have notched that many victories against the Top 10 in 2025, along with Jannik Sinner (15), Carlos Alcaraz (15) and Alexander Bublik (6).
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