The stars of the ATP Tour this week are set to take centre stage at the Rolex Paris Masters, the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are in action.
It is also the final week of the regular season, with the final Nitto ATP Finals qualification spots in singles and doubles still up for grabs. ATPTour.com looks at 10 things you should watch at Paris-Bercy.
1) Reigning Champion Djokovic: Novak Djokovic will look to capture a record-extending seventh Paris title and third in a row when he takes to court at the ATP Masters 1000 event next week. The 35-year-old, who defeated Daniil Medvedev in the championship match last year, has won his past nine matches, lifting trophies in Tel Aviv and Astana. The sixth-seeded Serbian will open against Diego Schwartzman or Maxime Cressy as he looks to maintain his good recent form.
2) Alcaraz Chasing Sixth Title: The 19-year-old arrives in Paris aiming to write another chapter into his fairytale season. The Spaniard, who will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in November, won ATP Masters 1000 titles in Miami and Madrid earlier this season before he captured the US Open crown, becoming the youngest player to rise to No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (since 1973).
Alcaraz will be making his second appearance in Paris after reaching the third round on debut last year when he was World No. 35. This week will be important in the teen’s pursuit of year-end No. 1.
3) Nadal Returns: Nadal will compete for the first time since September at the Laver Cup, where he partnered Roger Federer in the final match of the Swiss’ career. The Spaniard reached the fourth round at the US Open in his previous tour-level singles event. Nadal will look to find his form quickly as he pursues a sixth year-end World No. 1 finish.
The 36-year-old, who holds a 38-5 record on the season, will be trying to win his first Paris title. Nadal’s best run in the French capital came in 2007, when he advanced to the championship match.
4) After Medvedev’s Qualification, Rublev Aiming To Seal Turin Spot: After Daniil Medvedev qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals on Saturday, Andrey Rublev will look to seal his spot at the season finale when he plays in Paris. He currently has 3,440 points, putting him 530 points ahead of eighth-placed American Taylor Fritz. The 25-year-old, who is aiming to make his third consecutive…
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