PDF Draw<\/a><\/p>\nThoughts on the Draw<\/p>\n
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First Quarter: Zverev Faces a Tough Route With Djokovic Lurking<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Alexander Zverev (1), Alex de Minaur (8), Novak Djokovic (10), Learner Tien (15)<\/p>\n
Selected first-round matches:<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Musetti vs Hubert Hurkacz
\nStefanos Tsitsipas vs Learner Tien (15)
\nNovak Djokovic (10) vs Valentin Vacherot
\nAndrey Rublev vs Tom\u00e1s Mart\u00edn Etcheverry<\/p>\n
Zverev is the top seed and will arrive in Paris as the new world No. 1, but his draw isn\u2019t straightforward.<\/p>\n
After a first-round bye, the German faces either Lorenzo Musetti or Hubert Hurkacz, which is heavy for an opening round.<\/p>\n
Musetti comes into Paris having won the title in Lyon, while Hurkacz has enjoyed a strong Asian swing.<\/p>\n
On an indoor court, the Pole\u2019s serve alone can make life awkward for anyone, and he won the doubles in Paris a couple of years back, alongside making the semis in 2021, albeit in Bercy.<\/p>\n
Zverev has the advantage of an extra day\u2019s rest with no first-round match (he\u2019s still playing Vienna), but he won\u2019t get much opportunity to ease himself into the tournament.<\/p>\n
If he gets through that match, Learner Tien is his projected third-round opponent.<\/p>\n
Tien first has to negotiate a tricky opener against Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Luca Van Assche or Mariano Navone awaiting in round two. The American has plenty to play for in the final weeks of the season.<\/p>\n
The other side of this quarter is arguably even more interesting.<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic, seeded tenth, does not receive a first-round bye and immediately faces Valentin Vacherot.<\/p>\n
That is a dangerous opponent for the Serbian, given Vacherot defeated him during his crazy run to the Shanghai Masters title last year.<\/p>\n
Vacherot has also been playing pretty well recently, and his physicality is right up there, so this is certainly not the sort of first round Djokovic would have wanted.<\/p>\n
Should Djokovic come through, he faces Luciano Darderi or a qualifier before potentially meeting Alex de Minaur in the third round.<\/p>\n
De Minaur himself has a bye and opens against either Andrey Rublev or Tom\u00e1s Mart\u00edn Etcheverry, both potentially difficult second-round matches, but I really don\u2019t know what to expect from Rublev these days as he\u2019s lost in the first round at his last three tournaments.<\/p>\n
Djokovic and De Minaur are both chasing places at the ATP Finals, which adds another layer. I always fancy Djoker in that matchup after the demolition job he performed in Australia when De Minaur questioned his vaccine stance, but the gap has closed since then with Nole\u2019s physical woes.<\/p>\n
Zverev against De Minaur is the quarter-final suggested by the seedings, although Djokovic can clearly disrupt that given his record in Paris.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d still make Zverev the slight favourite to come through this quarter, assuming Vienna doesn\u2019t put too many extra miles in the legs, but his opening match is awkward enough that I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we see a few upsets.<\/p>\n
Second Quarter: Shelton and Tiafoe Lead a Competitive American Section<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Ben Shelton (3), Frances Tiafoe (7), Tommy Paul (12), Francisco Cer\u00fandolo (16)<\/p>\n
Selected first-round matches:<\/p>\n
Cameron Norrie vs Matteo Arnaldi
\nArthur Rinderknech vs Francisco Cer\u00fandolo (16)
\nTommy Paul (12) vs Holger Rune (PR)
\nQuentin Halys vs Arthur Fery<\/p>\n
Shelton is the highest seed in the second quarter, but there\u2019s plenty of competition here, particularly from his fellow Americans.<\/p>\n
The third seed has a first-round bye before facing either Cameron Norrie or Matteo Arnaldi. He should win against either, but Norrie has already shown he can be dangerous in Paris, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz at this tournament last year, so he\u2019s more than capable of forcing a three-set tiebreak match, which Shelton always seems to be involved in.<\/p>\n
If Shelton progresses, Francisco Cer\u00fandolo is his projected third-round opponent, although the Argentine faces a difficult first-round match against Arthur Rinderknech.<\/p>\n
Rinderknech will have home support and an aggressive game that can cause problems indoors.<\/p>\n
Two qualifiers are also in this section, so there\u2019s scope for an unexpected player to make a run.<\/p>\n
In the bottom part of the quarter, Tommy Paul faces Holger Rune in the first round, with the Dane using a protected ranking as he continues his comeback from injury.<\/p>\n
Rune won this tournament in 2022, beating Djokovic in the final, but although it is still early days, he has struggled to find his best level since returning to competition.<\/p>\n
Paul hasn\u2019t been particularly convincing in recent weeks, so this match feels fairly open, and Rune did bag a win against Hurkacz in Basel\/<\/p>\n
The winner meets Daniel M\u00e9rida or Alexander Blockx before a potential third-round encounter with Frances Tiafoe.<\/p>\n
Tiafoe has a bye and begins against either Quentin Halys or Arthur Fery.<\/p>\n
Fery comes into Paris after a decent run in Vienna, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Zverev.<\/p>\n
Halys has the home advantage, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Fery caused him problems, particularly if he can reproduce the level he showed in Austria.<\/p>\n
Tiafoe remains firmly in the ATP Finals conversation, while Paul is trying to close the gap on the players ahead of him.<\/p>\n
Shelton vs Tiafoe is the projected quarter-final, but I don\u2019t see either of them making it.<\/p>\n
Third Quarter: Medvedev and Cobolli Head a Wide-Open Section<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Daniil Medvedev (4), Flavio Cobolli (5), Rafael J\u00f3dar (9), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (13)<\/p>\n
Selected first-round matches:<\/p>\n
Jan-Lennard Struff (SE) vs Arthur G\u00e9a (WC)
\nAlejandro Tabilo vs Rafael J\u00f3dar (9)
\nAlejandro Davidovich Fokina (13) vs Mo\u00efse Kouam\u00e9 (WC)
\nDenis Shapovalov vs Karen Khachanov<\/p>\n
This looks like one of the most open quarters in the draw, with several players capable of reaching the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
Flavio Cobolli is the highest seed in the top section and has a first-round bye before facing either Jan-Lennard Struff or French wild card Arthur G\u00e9a.<\/p>\n
Struff is an awkward opponent on an indoor hard court, as he showed in Basel by defeating Djokovic, and for my money, in this era of blandness that dominates the tour, he\u2019s one of the few players who are fun to watch.<\/p>\n
G\u00e9a will have the crowd behind him and has made significant progress this season, so I think he\u2019ll probably come through, given the short turnaround time Struff faces as he\u2019s still in the Swiss Indoors draw.<\/p>\n
Rafael J\u00f3dar is Cobolli\u2019s projected third-round opponent, although the Spaniard must get through Alejandro Tabilo first.<\/p>\n
J\u00f3dar has enjoyed an excellent season and is also chasing a place at the ATP Finals, so he\u2019ll be keen to pick up as many points as possible.<\/p>\n
Tabilo is unpredictable, but J\u00f3dar defeated him handily last week in Basel, so I\u2019d expect him to meet Ruud in round 2.<\/p>\n
The bottom half of the quarter is led by Daniil Medvedev, who won this tournament in 2020. He\u00a0has a bye before facing Ignacio Buse or Zizou Bergs.<\/p>\n
Meddy\u2019s projected third-round opponent is Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who faces French wild card Mo\u00efse Kouam\u00e9 in the opening round.<\/p>\n
Kouam\u00e9 is making his Paris Masters debut and has been handed a difficult introduction to Masters 1000 tennis.<\/p>\n
Davidovich Fokina can beat almost anyone on his day, and after Shanghai<\/p>\n
Denis Shapovalov and Karen Khachanov also meet in this section, with the winner facing Davidovich Fokina or Kouam\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Khachanov won the Paris Masters in 2018 and is always dangerous on indoor hard courts, so he could easily become a factor.<\/p>\n
Medvedev against Cobolli is the projected quarter-final, and I think Daniil will come through.<\/p>\n
Fourth Quarter: Alcaraz Leads the Way, but Fils and Fritz Could Threaten<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Carlos Alcaraz (2), Arthur Fils (6), Taylor Fritz (11), Brandon Nakashima (14)<\/p>\n
Selected first-round matches:<\/p>\n
Brandon Nakashima (14) vs Matteo Berrettini
\nUgo Humbert vs Botic van de Zandschulp
\nAlex Michelsen vs Ji\u0159\u00ed Lehe\u010dka
\nKyrian Jacquet (WC) vs Qualifier<\/p>\n
Alcaraz leads the bottom quarter and will be looking for a better result than last year, when he lost to Cameron Norrie in his opening match.<\/p>\n
The second seed has a first-round bye but could face a difficult second-round opponent in either Alex Michelsen or Ji\u0159\u00ed Lehe\u010dka.<\/p>\n
Lehe\u010dka has heavy groundstrokes to make life uncomfortable on an indoor court, although Alcaraz defeated him in the Tokyo final earlier this season and leads the H2H 4-1.<\/p>\n
Michelsen is another player who can take the racket out of an opponent\u2019s hands when serving well, so neither is an ideal opening opponent.<\/p>\n
Assuming Alcaraz progresses, Brandon Nakashima is the seed he could meet in the third round.<\/p>\n
However, Nakashima has a difficult first-round assignment against Matteo Berrettini. Berrettini has the serve-and-forehand combination to trouble almost anyone, but it\u2019s been a while since he really delivered.<\/p>\n
The winner of that match meets Ugo Humbert or Botic van de Zandschulp, which means this section is packed with players who can make life awkward for Alcaraz.<\/p>\n
Humbert has a track record of putting on a run in front of the French crowd, and he\u2019s always played well indoors, winning Metz, Marseille, and Antwerp in his career, and also losing the 2024 Paris Final to Zverev.<\/p>\n
The other side of this quarter features Arthur Fils and Taylor Fritz.<\/p>\n
Fils has a first-round bye and opens against either French wild card Kyrian Jacquet or a qualifier.<\/p>\n
That looks like a reasonable opening match on paper, although, as usual, there are concerns about his fitness after he retired against Fritz in Basel with a leg problem.<\/p>\n
Taylor Fritz is his projected third-round opponent, although the American has to come through a qualifier and potentially Titouan Droguet or another qualifier.<\/p>\n
Fritz should be fairly happy with that section of the draw.<\/p>\n
Alcaraz against Fils is the projected quarter-final, but Fritz could well have something to say about that; I\u2019d still make Alcaraz the favourite to reach the semi-finals from this quarter.<\/p>\n
First-Round Matches to Watch<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic vs Valentin Vacherot:\u00a0Arguably the standout first-round match. Vacherot beat Djokovic on his way to winning Shanghai last year, and the Serbian cannot afford an early exit if he wants to qualify for the ATP Finals.<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Musetti vs Hubert Hurkacz:\u00a0A tough opening match for both players. Musetti arrives after his Lyon title, while Hurkacz\u2019s serve could be particularly effective indoors. Zverev awaits the winner.<\/p>\n
Tommy Paul (12) vs Holger Rune (PR): A difficult opener for Paul against the 2022 champion. Rune is still trying to rediscover his best tennis following his Achilles rupture.<\/p>\n
Learner Tien (15) vs Stefanos Tsitsipas: An interesting clash between a rock-solid young American and an established player trying to regain his form. The winner could eventually meet Zverev in the third round.<\/p>\n
Brandon Nakashima (14) vs Matteo Berrettini:\u00a0Nakashima has the ranking advantage, but Berrettini is the sort of unseeded opponent nobody wants to face on a quick hard court.<\/p>\n
Quentin Halys vs Arthur Fery:\u00a0A good opportunity for Fery to build on his Vienna quarter-final, although Halys will have home support. Frances Tiafoe awaits the winner.<\/p>\n
Who do you think wins the 2026 Paris Masters? Can Djokovic find a way through his difficult draw, or will Zverev and Alcaraz meet in the final? Let me know in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The draw for the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters is out, with Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz taking the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":953237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[442],"tags":[49,48,82,593],"class_list":["post-953236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=953236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/953237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=953236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=953236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=953236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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