Lorenzo Musetti confesses he was "curious" throughout the week whether Novak Djokovic would play at the ATP Finals and admits he had "a laugh" after the Serb told him that he would not go to Turin.
Going into the ATP 250 tournament in Athens, it was a simple scenario for Musetti - if he wins he title, he beats out Felix Auger-Aliassime for the last ATP Finals spot. But since Djokovic was secretive about whether he would play at the season-ending tournament, there was always possibility that the former world No. 1 would pull out of the event and make the space for both the Italian and the Canadian in Turin.
Musetti ended up making the Athens final and losing 6-4 3-6 5-7 to Djokovic. While they were shaking hands, the record 24-time Grand Slam instantly told the 23-year-old about his decision.
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Since the groups in Turin had already been placed, Djokovic drew criticism for what some thought was a waiting game. However, the 38-year-old explained his decision by saying that he was injured and played in Athens under antibiotics.
Instead of the Serb facing Taylor Fritz in the Turin opener, it will be Musetti, who also shares Jimmy Connors Group with Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur.
Musetti asked how he felt about Djokovic's ATP Finals move and what was his reaction
"Well, I think Novak, he was completely in the rules of the ATP, of the tournament itself. Of course, I think the strange situation was that he was playing literally the week before the Masters. That could be a little bit strange for a player who is already qualified. But that's the only thing," the 23-year-old said.
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"Of course, when he told me at the net after the match that he was not coming, honestly we had a laugh about it. I was curious all week. I was curious if he was coming or not. Of course, I was trying to focus on myself. I think I made a good work at that, even if I didn't win the final."
Musetti will make his ATP Finals debut when he takes on Fritz on Monday.
