Djokovic, Alcaraz Learn Paris Fate As Year-End No. 1 Battle Continues

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will resume battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone at the Rolex Paris Masters, where the Serbian could face Holger Rune in the quarter-finals in a rematch of last year’s title match following the release of the draw Friday.

Djokovic leads Alcaraz by 500 points heading into the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season and is defending 600 points in Paris after reaching the title match last year. Chasing a record-extending seventh crown at the hard-court event, Djokovic will play Miomir Kecmanovic or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match and could play Tokyo champion Ben Shelton in the third round. Italian Jannik Sinner is a potential semi-final opponent.

Alcaraz is the second seed and is defending 180 points after withdrawing during his quarter-final match against Rune. The Spaniard is chasing a second consecutive ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone finish and starts against Cameron Norrie or Alexandre Muller. The 16th seed Karan Khachanov is a potential third-round opponent, while he could meet Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Third seed Daniil Medvedev is in Alcaraz’s half.

Tsitsipas and Zverev are currently sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and are chasing qualification spots at the Nitto ATP Finals. Tsitsipas plays Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff in his first match, while Zverev plays Frenchman Ugo Humbert or a qualifier. Both will seek deep runs to help boost their Turin hopes, with three qualification spots still up for grabs.

Behind them, Rune is currently occupying the final qualification spot in eighth. The 20-year-old Dane won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris last year and beat Stan Wawrinka in three sets en route. Rune could face Wawrinka in his opening match again this year, with the former World No. 3 Swiss star starting against Matteo Arnaldi.

Taylor Fritz is ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin on 3,055 points, 135 points behind Rune, who is still alive in Basel this week. The American is seeded to meet Rune in the third round.

Hubert Hurkacz is 10th (2,945 points) and could move to eighth by winning the title in Basel. He will play Sebastian Korda in the first round. The Pole, who is aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time (2021), won his second ATP Masters 1000 crown in Shanghai earlier this month. He is seeded to meet Casper Ruud in the third round. The Norwegian, who is 11th in the Live Race To Turin (2,815 points), opens against Frenchman Gael Monfils or Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Ruud reached the title match in Turin in 2022.

The 13th-placed Alex de Minaur (2,560 points), plays Andy Murray in the first round. The Australian has won all three of their Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings this year. Tommy Paul, 12th (2,620 points), meets French wild card Richard Gasquet in the first round.

Third seed Medvedev opens against Grigor Dimitrov or Lorenzo Musetti, while Sinner meets Mackenzie McDonald or a qualifier. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev will play a qualifier in the first round. Medvedev, Sinner and Rublev have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.