'Lorenzo Musetti outperforms Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner'

This declaration comes from Renzo Furlan - a well-known Italian coach who helped Jasmine Paolini reach the top 4 globally.

Coach Renzo Furlan - who has coached Jasmine Paolini, expressed strong confidence that Lorenzo Musetti can rise to world No. 3 soon, and also made a notable observation that the Italian player is currently performing even better than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Musetti made significant progress in his career last season when he broke into the ATP top 10 for the first time. Reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros and the quarterfinals of the US Open allowed the 23-year-old to finish the season ranked No. 8 in the world - the highest ranking of his career so far.

According to Furlan, that was just the beginning. The coach, awarded WTA Coach of the Year in 2024, believes his compatriot has the talent, mental strength, and consistency to challenge the dominance of the top stars: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

"On clay courts, Musetti has only been beaten by Alcaraz and Jack Draper.", Furlan shared with the Italian newspaper Nord Est of Italy. "His 2025 season was outstanding. And in 2026, Musetti can definitely aim for the world No. 3 spot, because at times, he has played even better than Sinner and Alcaraz."

However, the coach born in 1970 was cautious when discussing Musetti's chances of winning a Grand Slam. "He has the potential and qualities, but winning a Grand Slam requires many factors coming together, not just skill alone.", he emphasized.

Additionally, Furlan appeared less optimistic when assessing Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning his 25th Grand Slam title.

"Djokovic can still do it, but something extraordinary would have to happen.", he commented. "Alcaraz would need to perform very poorly early on, or Sinner would have to face physical issues like he did in Shanghai. If Djokovic has to face both in the semifinals or final, even he knows it’s nearly impossible."

Regarding Jannik Sinner, Furlan believes the world No. 2 will focus all his efforts on the clay season, especially Roland Garros - the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection.

"I’m sure Sinner will give his all in Paris," said Paolini’s former coach. "Besides Roland Garros, winning in Rome could also be a very important goal for him."