Australian Open 2025: 25 favorites to watch out for | No. 19, Men's Singles
Moving forward with the list of men's singles title contenders at the Australian Open 2025, Lorenzo Musetti is up next at No. 19. He wasn't at his best during the first few months of 2024, with a fourth-round appearance at the Miami Open being his best result. He also lost four matches in a row on two separate occasions.
However, Musetti got his act together following a third-round exit from the French Open. He came alive on grass and advanced to his first semifinal of the season at the Boss Open in Stuttgart. He followed this up with a runner-up finish at the Cinch Championships, losing to Tommy Paul in the final.
Musetti staged his best result at a Major with a semifinal showing at Wimbledon, the first time he moved beyond the fourth round at this level. He came quite close to winning the Croatia Open after that but came up short in the third set tie-break against Francisco Cerundolo in the final.
Musetti next claimed the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. He underperformed during the North American swing but got back on track with another runner-up finish, this time at the Chengdu Open. A semifinal appearance in Vienna was his next best result in the fall, and he was part of the Italian Davis Cup squad who successfully defended their title.
Musetti's string of good results in the second half of the season helped him finish the season inside the top 20 for the first time in his career at No. 17. He also notched up a 29-13 record since the start of June. The Italian will be keen to bring this form to Melbourne, a place where he tasted his biggest success as a junior.
Lorenzo Musetti won the singles title at the Australian Open as a junior in 2019
Lorenzo Musetti won the boys' singles title at the Australian Open 2019. He saved a championship point in the deciding set tie-break to come out on top against Emilio Nava. However, he hasn't been able to replicate the same level of success as a pro since then.
Musetti crashed out in the first round on his Australian Open debut in 2022. He fell at the first hurdle in 2023 as well. He beat Benjamin Bonzi in four sets to register his first win at the venue this year. He led Luca Van Assche by two sets to one in the second round but squandered his lead to lose the match in five sets.
Musetti could feel the weight of his poor record in Melbourne on his shoulders once again next year. However, if he plays with the same intensity and focus that he displayed in the latter half of 2024, then perhaps he has a chance at overturning his past record.
To view the previous entry in this list, click here.