The duopoly Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have forged at the top of men's tennis could yet be disrupted by Lorenzo Musetti. That's according to Italian coach Renzo Furlan, who believes Musetti actually "plays better" than the world's top two.

"On clay, Lorenzo has only lost to Alcaraz and [Jack] Draper," Furlan told Italian outlet Nord Est. "His 2025 season was excellent, and in 2026, he can aspire to be number three in the world because, paradoxically, he plays better than Sinner and Alcaraz. The quality and potential are there, but winning a Grand Slam depends on many circumstances."

Musetti has yet to reach a Grand Slam final, though he has come close. Last year, he reached the semi-finals of the French Open, and in 2024 he made the last four at Wimbledon.

By contrast, Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last eight major titles between them and appear poised to dominate the sport for years, in a manner reminiscent of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. However, Furlan believes Musetti has the technical weapons to challenge the pair, describing him as a "complete player" who may simply need the right break for results to follow.

"Lorenzo has experience, he's a complete player, and he's never had any physical problems," he said. "Now he's made the decision to hire [Vincenzo] Santopadre as his full-time coach, which will undoubtedly give him strong motivation.

"Tactically, when he manages to impose his game based on his serve and forehand, he's a match [for Alcaraz and Sinner], but he still needs to improve his backhand. I expect something more from him on that shot."

Currently ranked world No. 7, Musetti broke into the top 10 for the first time last year. While he did not win a singles title in 2025, he enjoyed an impressive clay-court campaign, reaching the final in Monte Carlo and the semi-finals in Madrid, Rome and at Roland Garros.

Even so, there remains a gap to bridge before he can be considered on equal footing with Alcaraz and Sinner. Musetti has beaten Alcaraz just once in eight meetings and has yet to record a victory against his compatriot Sinner, having lost all three of their encounters.

As the 2026 season gets underway, the race is now on for Musetti to prove he belongs at the top. Beyond his partnership with Santopadre, the Italian has bolstered his team by bringing on veteran coach Jose Perlas, a move designed to add tactical grit to his natural artistry.

Perlas, who famously guided Carlos Moya to world No. 1 and a Grand Slam title, is tasked with helping Musetti refine the "proactive" style required to disrupt the heavy hitters. Musetti has openly acknowledged that narrowing the distance to Alcaraz and Sinner is his primary aim, noting during the off season that while he learned essential lessons from his 2025 defeats, he must now transition from a player who "belongs" to a player who "wins."

The immediate litmus test for this revamped approach begins at the 2026 Australian Open this month. Musetti has yet to make a deep run in Melbourne, but a breakthrough performance would offer early validation of his changes - and perhaps even hint that Furlan's prediction could well come to pass.