ATP Tour

Zverev new No. 1, Alcaraz chases Paris glory & Turin battle: Scouting Report

The final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season takes place over the coming week at the Rolex Paris Masters, where Alexander Zverev, record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic and second seed Carlos Alcaraz headline the field.

Zverev, who claimed the Paris crown in 2024, is set to compete in his first tournament as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, while Djokovic is aiming to make a final push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Second seed Carlos Alcaraz is pursuing his fifth tour-level trophy of the season and first Paris crown. Flavio Cobolli and home hope Arthur Fils lead a group of players trying to seal their qualification for the season-ending championship in Turin.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the tournament:

1) World No. 1 Zverev: Zverev will rise to the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday and is set to compete in his first tournament as World No. 1 in Paris. The 29-year-old arrives in the French capital having reached the semi-finals in Vienna. The German will face Lorenzo Musetti or Hubert Hurkacz in his opening match. Zverev, the 2024 champion, is drawn to face Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

2) Djokovic eyes Turin, faces tough draw: Djokovic faces a tricky path in Paris, where he will make his final push for Nitto ATP Finals qualification. The Serbian, who is currently 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, opens against Valentin Vacherot and could meet Alex de Minaur, who is also battling for a Turin spot, in the third round. Djokovic, who is in Zverev's quarter of the draw, is a seven-time champion at the event and holds a 50-9 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

3) Alcaraz eyes first crown: Alcaraz arrives having clinched the title in Vienna. The Spaniard will look to carry that momentum into Paris as he targets his first trophy at the Masters 1000 event. The 23-year-old opens against either Alex Michelsen or Jiri Lehecka, whom he recently defeated in the Tokyo final.

4) Former champ Medvedev returns: Medvedev heads to Paris with the pressure of Turin qualification off his shoulders after securing his Nitto ATP Finals berth last week in Vienna, where he reached the semi-finals. The 30-year-old has claimed four ATP Tour titles this season and could add a fifth in Paris, where he lifted the trophy in 2020.

5) Turin contenders seek deep runs: The Rolex Paris Masters will offer a key opportunity for players chasing the remaining Turin spots, with Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe, Rafael Jodar and Alex de Minaur are among those looking to qualify. Roland Garros finalist Cobolli is currently in sixth place (3,690 points). Seventh-placed Arthur Fils (3,525 points), eighth-placed Tiafoe (3,380) and ninth-placed Jodar (3,184) are all firmly in contention, with 10th-placed De Minaur (3,160) right outside the qualification cut.

6) Jodar set for Top 10 debut: Away from the battle for Nitto ATP Finals qualification, Jodar is set to make his Top 10 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday. The 20-year-old Spaniard, who made his tour-level debut at this year’s Australian Open, will set a record for the shortest time between his debut and Top 10 arrival (287 days), breaking Gustavo Kuerten’s mark of 490 days. Jodar opens against Alejandro Tabilo in Paris, with the pair meeting for the fifth time this year.

7) Home hopes receive wild cards: Frenchman Moise Kouame, Kyrian Jacquet, Arthur Gea and Titouan Droguet have all received wild cards into the main draw of their home Masters 1000 event and will lead the home charge in Paris. #NextGenATP star Kouame will face Shanghai champion Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round.

8) Shelton looks to rediscover form: Shelton is the third seed in Paris and looking to bounce back from a third-round exit in Shanghai and a second-round exit in Basel, having reached his first major final at the US Open in September. The World No. 4, who made the Paris quarter-finals last year, plays his opening match against Cameron Norrie or Matteo Arnaldi.

9) Monfils says goodbye: Gael Monfils is set to celebrate his retirement in Paris, where he is a two-time finalist (2009-10). The Frenchman, who made his final tour-level appearance at the US Open in August, will be honoured in a ceremony hosted by the tournament on Tuesday. A former No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Monfils tallied a 588-360 career record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

10) Defending champions Heliovaara/Patten: Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten will defend their title in Paris and can clinch their sixth tour-level crown in 2026. They will be joined by Christian Harrison/Neal Skupski and Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos. Three Nitto ATP Finals spots remain up for grabs in the doubles field, with Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz, Theo Arribage/Albano Olivetti and Guido Andreozzi/Manuel Guinard currently in position to make Turin.