Lorenzo Musetti enters new Athens event after seeing ATP Finals dream jeopardized

The chase for the final spot to the Nitto ATP Finals is officially going down to the wire.

And as a result, it’s forced Lorenzo Musetti to add a tournament to his schedule as he bids to secure a maiden appearance among the eight-man field.

The 23-year-old will compete at a brand-new event in Athens after taking the one "Late Entry" (LE) spot made available at each ATP 250. Musetti, seeded second behind 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, awaits wild card Stan Wawrinka or Botic van de Zandschulp.

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The Italian began this week at No. 8 in the race to Turin, but an opening-round loss at the Rolex Paris Masters to compatriot Lorenzo Sonego put him at risk of ceding his position. Felix Auger-Aliassime has since placed Musetti in the danger zone, while Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur have all qualified this week to leave one ticket up for grabs.

The 25-year-old moved within a victory of surpassing Musetti by reaching the semifinals of this week’s ATP Masters 1000 event with a straight-set win over Valentin Vacherot Friday. If Auger-Aliassime advances past Alexander Bublik into the final at La Defense Arena, he’ll leapfrog the Roland Garros semifinalist.

Daniil Medvedev, in the opposite half of the draw to the Canadian, can also overtake Musetti if he wins the title. The surging Bublik can move within 175 points should he run the table for his first 1000-level triumph.

Auger-Aliassime and Bublik previously entered next week’s ATP 250 in Metz, where they are projected to be the top two seeds.