Repeatedly falling short in finals, Musetti’s fate resembles that of Auger-Aliassime.

It is well known that among ATP professional tennis players, the post-2000 generation has become a significant force. Canadian player Auger-Aliassime was the first from this generation to appear in a Grand Slam main draw. However, from 2019 to 2021, over a full three years, he reached eight tour finals but lost each time, only claiming his first tour title in 2022.

Similarly, there is a player who has reached six tour finals in the past two years and suffered defeat each time. Objectively speaking, this player’s fate is comparable to Auger-Aliassime’s. So, who is this player? And in which tour finals did he fall short? Today, this article will take you through it.

This player is Italy’s Musetti, who first caught the attention of many fans by reaching his career-first Grand Slam round of 16 at the 2021 French Open. In 2022, Musetti won two tour titles. Last season in mid-June, he appeared at the ATP 500 Queen’s Club Championships held in London.

In the first round, despite losing the first set, Musetti came back to win two consecutive sets and upset the tournament’s second seed, Australian player Deminal. Afterwards, he defeated American Brandon Nakashima, British player B. Harris, and Australian Thompson, reaching his third career tour final. However, in the final, Musetti was defeated in straight sets by American Paul, who had previously reached a Grand Slam semifinal, finishing as runner-up in his first tour final loss.

At the end of July, Musetti entered the ATP 250 Umag Open in Croatia as the tournament’s second seed. As a seeded player, he received a first-round bye; in the second round, he dominated Argentine qualifier Trangeridi to advance smoothly; in the quarterfinals, Musetti came from behind to beat Serbian player Lajovic and reach the semifinals; there, he delivered a flawless performance against Czech Menšík, advancing to his second tour final of the 2024 season. Unfortunately, despite winning the first set, Musetti was overturned in two sets by the fourth seed, Argentine Cerundolo, settling again for the runner-up spot.

In mid-September, as the top seed, Musetti arrived at the ATP 250 Chengdu Open. After a first-round bye, he faced a tough challenge in the second round, losing the first set but rallying to win the next two sets and narrowly advance past Australian O’Connell. He then defeated veteran Frenchman Mannarino and Russian qualifier Kachmazov to reach the final. In the championship match, he was defeated by China’s rising star Shang Juncheng, who claimed his first career tour title.

Interestingly, that year Musetti not only reached three tour finals but finished runner-up each time; he also twice reached Challenger finals but lost both, failing to capture those titles. Nonetheless, he made his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon that year. Moreover, Musetti earned a bronze medal in men’s singles at the Olympics.

In early April, at the Monte Carlo Masters, Musetti overcame Chinese qualifier Bu Yunchaokete in a first-round comeback to advance. He continued his strong run by defeating Czech Lehecka, compatriot Berrettini, Greek Tsitsipas, and Australian Deminal, reaching his first Masters final. In a hard-fought three-set match, he lost to the top post-2000 player, Spain’s Alcaraz, finishing as runner-up.

Later, at the ATP 250 events in Chengdu in mid-September and Athens in early November, Musetti reached the finals but lost on both occasions. Thus, from 2024 to 2025, across just two seasons, he made six tour finals but was unable to secure a title.

However, reaching six tour finals is already an impressive achievement. We believe Musetti will achieve great results in future competitions. Let us wish him the best. That’s the tennis story for today; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)