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Lorenzo Musetti defeats Carlos Alcaraz for first ATP title in Hamburg

The Italian’s win over the No. 6-ranked Spaniard in the final of the ATP 500 event was the biggest win of his career.

ByJohn Berkok

Published Jul 24, 2022

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It was already a breakthrough week in Hamburg for Lorenzo Musetti, as he made it through to the first ATP final of his career, but things got even sweeter for the 20-year-old Italian on Sunday afternoon as he won a two-hour, 46-minute thriller against Carlos Alcaraz, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4, for the first ATP title of his career.

His win over the No. 6-ranked Spaniard was also the biggest win of his career.

Musetti was on the verge of a straight-set victory, originally leading 6-4, 5-3 and holding five match points in the second set—he had double match point serving for the match at 6-4, 5-4, 40-15, and triple match point up 6-3 in the tie-break, too—but after Alcaraz showed his trademark fight to push the final to a third set, Musetti snuck out one last break in the very last game of the match to close it out.

“You saved so many match points today, it was really tough to close the match,” Musetti said to Alcaraz during the trophy presentation.

“You inspire me a lot.”

It was a high-quality final from both players, with both compiling positive winners-to-unforced errors differentials during the match—Musetti was +5 with 26 winners to 21 unforced errors, while Alcaraz was an even better +6, with 30 to 24.

Musetti is the 10th first-time ATP title winner in 2022, and just the second to do it above the ATP 250 level after Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam.

Musetti is the 10th first-time ATP title winner in 2022, and just the second to do it above the ATP 250 level after Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam.

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Coming into Hamburg, Musetti’s best ATP results were three semifinals—one ATP 500 on hard (Acapulco in 2021) and two ATP 250s on clay (Sardinia in 2020 and Lyon in 2021). His two biggest wins had come against a pair of No. 9s—Diego Schwartzman in Acapulco last year and Felix Auger-Aliassime in Monte Carlo earlier this year.

The 20-year-old Italian is projected to halve his ranking from No. 62 to No. 31 on Monday, which will actually be his Top 50 debut—his previous career-high was No. 51.

Alcaraz, who had been 5-0 in ATP finals coming into this one, is projected to rise from No. 6 to No. 5 tomorrow, his Top 5 debut. He would have risen to No. 4 with the title.

The two are both scheduled to play the ATP 250 clay-court event in Umag, Croatia this week. They’re on opposite halves of the draw so wouldn’t meet again until the final.