'He has a kind of aura' - Lorenzo Musetti heaps praise on 'legend' Carlos Alcaraz after final defeat

The Italian defeated the likes of Alex de Minaur, Matteo Berrettini, and three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas to make the biggest match of his life.

However, once there, and faced with Carlos Alcaraz, the former Grand Slam semi-finalist was defeated 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Musetti looked the far more comfortable player on the court in the first set, but fatigue and discomfort from the tough week eventually caught up to him - taking a medical timeout in the deciding set.

"We don't know the specific nature of the injury yet, but it's clear that we're going to do some tests in the coming days," admitted Musetti.

"As you have seen, I couldn't finish the match as I wanted, but in a final,  I didn't want to retire. It was the best way to finish, even if I wasn't able to play much more. It is what it is.

"The toughness of the whole week, of the long matches I played, was what took its toll on me today.

"In this final, I was very clear about what I had to do. Especially after the first set, which I played probably my best tennis, and of course I was feeling the ball really well today. I had a clear mind what I had to do.

"But physically I was struggling, the physical problems and the fatigue and all the, let's say, stress accumulated in the past days, past matches, they were there. So unfortunately I couldn't finish the match. I mean, I couldn't, let's say, fight till the end."

Despite the tough end to an impressive tournament performance, the Italian says that he hopes to take away optimistic sensations heading into the rest of the European clay-court season.

"I take a lot of positive stuff. You know, I have reached some of my goals," reflected Musetti.

"After this, of course, we are already focused on other goals, on trying to be ambitious and motivate ourselves even more, because we have not yet reached the top-10.

"Right now, that's probably the main goal of the season: we're close enough to keep fighting and keep dreaming. As I said on court, I don't want to make any excuses today. Carlos probably deserved to win, but it was a shame that I couldn't show my best tennis until the last point.

"Now I'll take a week off, I won't go to Barcelona, and I'll play in Madrid. I hope to be there 100 percent."

After his Monte Carlo run, the soon-to-be world No 11 now possesses a 64-37 win/loss record on clay courts - with his biggest title arriving on the surface (Hamburg 2022).

"Yes, clay is probably my favorite surface," stated the runner-up.

"Let's say it's my natural habitat. This week gave me the confidence to be more ambitious even in bigger tournaments like this one or, for example, in French Open. That's a massive point of the season, for me really important, which I don't have so many points to defend.

"So hopefully I can be prepared, you know, to do some great things there. I think I have the level to be at the top on clay."

Whilst Musetti will undoubtedly be disappointed in how the final ended, he was quick to further credit Alcaraz for his performance and overall demeanour.

"Carlos is already a legend of this sport, despite being younger than me," commented the 23-year-old.

"He's a record-breaking guy, and on the court you feel like he has a kind of aura, so to speak. Today, honestly, I think I played a fantastic first set, which made him change something in his tennis.

"If I had been 100% physically, I could have kept more energy, which is what you need to beat someone like Carlos. I hope to get revenge soon."

READ MORE: 'I told him to retire' - Lorenzo Musetti's coach reveals the Italian's Monte Carlo final injury