“It’s complicated not to think about it”: Lorenzo Musetti admits tension in ATP Finals Race

As the final weeks of the ATP Tour competition unfold, Lorenzo Musetti is one of those who arrived urgently needing points in the final events, amid a great year that has him on the verge of qualifying for the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. The Italian has been under pressure from the emergence of Felix Auger-Aliassime in recent weeks, who still threatens to snatch that coveted 8th spot for Turin.

However, the Italian got a respite this week after reaching the semi-finals at the Vienna Open. Despite the straight-sets defeat to Alexander Zverev (4-6, 5-7), the Italian guaranteed extending his distance from Auger-Aliassime—eliminated in the quarter-finals in Basel—leaving Musetti with a lead of just over 400 points.

While the Canadian secured the title in Brussels last week, the Norwegian Casper Ruud was also crowned champion, in Stockholm, and managed to close the gap. The Norwegian is 11th in the Race—one spot behind the injured Jack Draper—and with one Masters 1000 still ahead, he knows the chance is still alive.

"Honestly, it's very complicated not to pay attention to this subject, especially after seeing that both Felix and Casper had to withdraw from their respective matches," Musetti mentioned regarding the quarter-final retirements of his two colleagues. "Unfortunately, the season becomes very hard for everyone at this point, although it's true that both of them came from winning a tournament the week before."

"I think they will have been more preventive decisions so that they can then arrive in optimum form for the next Paris Masters, with more peace of mind. Obviously, it would be somewhat disappointing if I end up qualifying this way, I don't want to earn a spot in Turin just like that. I want to do it on the court, trying to win everything I can."

Musetti seeks to qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time—he could potentially be the only player among the top 8 of the year without securing any title. However, his consistency throughout the year backs him up, with finals at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Chengdu, plus semi-finals at Roland Garros and the Madrid and Rome Masters 1000s—to which he adds a good performance at the ATP 500 Vienna Open this week.

Musetti has one final challenge ahead at the Paris Masters, a tournament where he could secure his ATP Finals qualification, but it will also depend on the results of his colleagues. Both Ruud and Auger-Aliassime will also be in Paris with great ambitions, although the Canadian has one final confirmed tournament in Metz afterward—with another 250 points at stake.

While he has two pursuers, Musetti has also managed to close the gap with those ahead of him. Between the 5th spot (Fritz) and Musetti (8th) there are only 200 points, so every victory in Paris could end up making a difference, both for the entry order to the ATP Finals and the possibility of Auger-Aliassime or Ruud qualifying. Ruud only serves to win the title in Paris to qualify, but Auger-Aliassime has greater options.

For that to happen, the Canadian will need to at least reach the semi-finals at the Paris Masters and hope for an early exit by Musetti. If so, he would only be details away from securing the spot, with one final tournament in Metz—a tournament where he will be the top seed and there are only two Top 20 players in the draw.