Alejandro Tabilo, a qualifier who’s been through a tough season so far, pulled off a career-defining upset at the Chengdu Open, outlasting top seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5) in a thrilling final. Saving two match points and storming back from a tiebreak deficit, the Chilean claimed his third ATP Tour title in a 2-hour, 37-minute thriller that left Musetti crushed yet again.
Tabilo, ranked No. 112, faced a do-or-die moment serving at 5-6 in the third set. Down two match points, he ripped a forehand winner to fend off the first, then watched Musetti’s rally shot sail long on the second. In the tiebreak, with Musetti leading 4-1, Tabilo flipped the script, winning six of the last seven points, sealing it with a pinpoint drop shot.
As the ball hit the net, he collapsed in disbelief, mobbed by his girlfriend and team. “I just had to stay there mentally and physically,” Tabilo said. “I was so happy to make those first serves on match points. It was an incredible effort from the team also. It has been a long two weeks and I am just so happy.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIt may have been an upset, but this was no fluke. Tabilo, who started 2025 with six straight losses and missed two months with a wrist injury, fought through qualifying and dropped just one set all tournament. He toppled fourth seed Brandon Nakashima and Musetti, his third Top 10 win, to become the second-lowest-ranked ATP champion of 2025.
The title vaults him 40 spots to No. 72 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, back in the top 100. “It’s been a very, very tough year. Lots of injuries. So, just being here right now, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
Musetti, meanwhile, endured another gut-wrenching loss. The No. 9 seed, with his elegant one-handed backhand, has now dropped five straight ATP finals, plus two Challenger finals, since his last title in Naples, 2022.
Despite outhitting Tabilo—37 winners to 29, 23 unforced errors to 44, and 82% first-serve points won—he couldn’t close. “Tough night for me, I guess. Probably was not my day,” Musetti said, deflated. “Of course, I want to congratulate Alejandro; it was a really intense match, and we fought hard until the last point. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn, hopefully it is going to go better.”
The match was a cliched rollercoaster. Tabilo grabbed the first set 6-3, breaking Musetti at 2-2 with a scorching forehand. The Italian, rattled by camera clicks and crowd noise, vented to the umpire: “When I serve, the cameras [clicking noises].”
Embed from Getty ImagesMusetti roared back in the second, breaking Tabilo twice for a 6-2 rout, his net play sharp. The third set saw breaks traded to 3-3, with Musetti edging ahead at 4-4. Serving for the title at 5-4, he fired three aces but faltered, letting Tabilo break back and force the tiebreak, where the Chilean prevailed. “First off, congrats to Lorenzo and his team. Crazy match, tough finish, but I love battling with you,” Tabilo said post-match.
Musetti, ever gracious, looked ahead: “I want to thank my team, my family watching at home, I have all the support, I think we are doing a good job, I think it’s a matter of time before we win a title. Hopefully, next time is the lucky one.” He climbs to seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, still chasing a Nitto ATP Finals debut.
Embed from Getty ImagesTabilo’s win was the culmination of a big fortnight. His 11-1 record over two weeks, including a Guangzhou Challenger final, might signal a resurgence back towards the top 50. We shouldn’t forget, it was only 15 months ago, he was in the top 20 in the world, and has defeated Novak Djokovic. For Musetti, the loss stings, but at 23, his talent is undeniable. He just needs to crack the mental code in finals to turn close calls into trophies.
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