Alcaraz at the ATP Finals : “To be honest, I prefer (playing vs.) Lorenzo (than Novak)…”
“To be honest, I prefer Lorenzo. I’m not going to lie (laughter),” Alcaraz said when he was asked about Djokovic’s withdrawal.
Carlos Alcaraz, ATP Finals 2025 | © Action Plus / PsNewz
Breaking from usual public-speaking norms, Carlos Alcaraz expressed a surprising preference for Lorenzo Musetti over Novak Djokovic in his ATP Finals group, while acknowledging Djokovic’s extensive experience and past success (7 times winner, a record) at the prestigious event.
“To be honest, I prefer Lorenzo. I’m not going to lie (laughter),” Alcaraz said.
The exact question posed was: “What is the difference between having a player with such experience as Novak Djokovic in your group and having someone like Lorenzo Musetti, whom you have beaten six times out of seven and haven’t lost to since 2022 in Hamburg?”
Alcaraz : “Djokovic killed me here in 2023”
“Well, obviously someone like Novak in the group is always tough,” Alcaraz replied. “The experience he has in this tournament, the level he has on indoor courts, it’s quite good. I lost to him in 2023 (in semifinal), and I played great. And he killed me (smiling).”
Musetti, currently ranked No. 9 in the ATP, earned his spot in the Finals by replacing Djokovic, who withdrew due to an undefined “ongoing injury”. The two faced off in a thrilling final in Athens on Saturday, won by Djokovic 7-5 in the third set.
“If Lorenzo is there, he deserves it because of the level he has shown in matches, the tournaments he’s played this year, and the high level he’s demonstrated,” Alcaraz added. “Let’s see how he’s going to adapt. He’s coming from Athens, and he couldn’t get a feel for the court at all. But I’m sure he’s going to do great, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Alcaraz’s group now includes the Spaniard himself, Musetti, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur, whom Alcaraz defeated 7-6, 6-2 in his opening match.
Carlos Alcaraz clearly dominates their head-to-head against Musetti, winning six of their seven meetings. Musetti’s only victory came at Hamburg 2022 on clay, where he won in three sets. Since then, Alcaraz has beaten Musetti exclusively on clay courts—including three meetings in 2025, most recently at Roland-Garros (4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 2-0 ret.).
