She appreciated her resilience, and the people who kept her going through the miserable week. “I think fighting spirit was important for this tournament because I’ve always had an incredible attitude,” he said. “I have to thank my team, the medical staff and the physios who tried to get me back into shape even after hours and hours of meetings. I was probably more relaxed in my head today and my tennis was more fluid. It was a really great performance.”
“It’s a mess. That’s a lot of emotion. I don’t know how to describe it, but I feel like it’s such a dream that I don’t want to wake up,” Musetti added. “I’m still dreaming, so I’m really happy and now I’ll have a few days to enjoy the victory.”
Generation #6 did it with authority. Fritz had not lost serve all week and Musetti broke him in his first service game. He jumped out to a 3-0 lead and closed out the set on his first set point. In the second set, he broke again for 2-1 on his third break point, then held a long game for 3-1 and wrapped up the match with his first match point. He hasn’t hit a break point.
First title for Musetti since 2022
This is Mussetti’s third career title, after Hamburg and Naples in 2022, and the first by an Italian in the history of the tournament held in Marseille from 1993 to 2025. He is the fourth Italian to win an ATP Tour title this season, following Yannick Sinner, Cobolli and Luciano Darderi.
Saturday came after a difficult season. Musetti reached a career-high No. 5 in January, but then missed part of the season and dropped to No. 26. In Lyon, he defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-1, 6-4, France’s Moise Kouame 6-4, 6-4 and Luca Van Assche (France’s Luca Van Assche 7-6 (5), 6-14 in the quarter-finals and 6-14 after the longest match of his career.
He then saved four points to beat top-seeded Kobolli 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in front of a sell-out crowd at the LDLC Arena, before taking them head-to-head 5-3 after beating Fritz.
Inside Fritz, the wait continues
The 14th-ranked Fritz won 31 of 31 service games en route to the final, defeating qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-2, 7-5, Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (5), 6-2 (6-2) and No. 4 Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-5. Fritz lost his fifth straight final. in five and still in pursuit of a 12th career title.He remains 12th in the Race to Turin.
