‘He plays better than Sinner and Alcaraz’ – Rising star tipped to challenge the top 2
Lorenzo Musetti has been backed to claim the World No.3 spot this year by coach Renzo Furlan who also said the Italian “plays better” than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Musetti cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career last year and a semi-final run at the French Open before a quarter-final appearance at the US Open saw him finish a career-best of eight on the year-end rankings.
But 2024 WTA Coach of the Year Furlan believes the 23-year-old can move even further up the ranking and has backed him to challenge the supremacy of Sinner and Alcaraz.
“On clay, Lorenzo has only lost to Alcaraz and Draper,” Furlan told Italian newspaper Nord Est. “His 2025 season was excellent, and in 2026 he can aspire to be world number 3 because, paradoxically, he plays better than Sinner and Alcaraz.
“The quality and potential are there, but winning a Grand Slam depends on many circumstances.”
Furlan was not as optimistic when making a prediction about Novak Djokovic’s future. As for 2026 and his quest for a 25th Slam, Furlan said the Serbian was relying on a surprise early exit for one of the top two as anything else is “almost impossible.”
“He can do it, but something strange has to happen: Alcaraz has to have a bad day in the early rounds, or Sinner has to suffer a physical problem like in Shanghai. Of course, if he runs into both of them in the semifinals or the final, even he knows it’s almost impossible.”
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As for his compatriot Sinner, Furlan believes the current No.2 player will be targeting clay tournaments with a view to securing his first French Open, the only Grand Slam he is missing from his collection.
“I’m sure we’ll see him fighting tooth and nail at Roland Garros, because it’s the only Grand Slam he’s missing,” Furlan said. “But he’ll try to give his best everywhere. Winning Rome could also be a goal.”
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