Lorenzo Musetti surrenders in the final in Monte Carlo against Carlos Alcaraz

Bad luck and the toll of a magical week's hard work do not erase the wonder. Lorenzo Mustetti a Montecarlo must surrender in the final (6-3 1-6 0-6) to a Carlos Alcaraz found, as evidenced by the Spaniard's overtaking of Alexander Zverev today to take the second position in the world. But he has every right to rejoice, 'Muso', even beyond the pain in his right leg that made him throw in the towel in the match that could have brought him his first 1000 Masters of the season.

Lollo had been dragging the muscle problem since yesterday morning. Despite this, he put together a sumptuous first set, prevailing 6-3 thanks to the immediate counterbreak to Carlitos - who had immediately broken the Tuscan's serve in the first game - and then to the other, decisive, with the score at 2-1 in his favor. Strangely foul-prone, Alcaraz, in all respects the Lord of the Red Clay of the last two years; and inspired the Italian, much more than he had shown in the early matches seen up to yesterday in the Principality.

In the second set, however, everything turns upside down and Carlitos' break that takes him to 3-0 is in fact the definitive turning point of the match. Musetti struggles to find himself and the difficulty in moving becomes increasingly evident. Alcaraz wins 6-1 and the Carrara player asks for a medical time out. Unfortunately it won't be necessary, because then the third set is an easy catwalk for the Murcian who yesterday won his 18th tournament and sixth Masters 1000.

"Now I know I can stay at these levels - says Lorenzo, who today rises to 11th ATP position, just fifteen points away from Ruud and therefore from the top 10 -. Unfortunately my body was no longer able to withstand a match like that. These last twelve months - continues Lorenzo - have served me to be ambitious, to not underestimate myself. Sometimes in the routine it can be difficult to face certain aspects of the life of a professional tennis player. Instead now I have learned to enjoy what I do more, trying to face some things more lightly. And the results are not a coincidence: I think they are due to some change in my character".

There is a strong feeling that the definitive change of pace that everyone was hoping for for the 23-year-old Italian number two has come true, who only lacked the consistency of performance to aspire to the Olympus of the racket. An athlete who has always dazzled with his talent, reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year and the Olympic bronze. He will not be able to compete in the '500' of Barcelona now, but in Madrid for the next Masters 1000 he will try to be there, before Rome. Where we will see him in the running together with Jannik Sinner, free since yesterday to train on all courts, as per the Wada Code, three weeks before his disqualification ends. Alcaraz won yesterday, after months of greyness: but how nice to have the feeling that he is no longer the one leading the dance on the red clay.