The tennis world is abuzz with excitement as the last Masters 1000 of the season is set to kick off on Monday in the iconic city of Paris at the Paris-Bercy tournament. However, the news of Novak Djokovic’s absence from the tournament has left fans and organizers shocked. The Serbian legend, fresh off playing in the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia, made the decision not to defend his title from last year. It seems that Djokovic may have already wrapped up his season and there are growing concerns that he may even miss the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, should he qualify.
As the tournament gears up, all eyes are on two young rising stars, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. These two players, for different reasons, have never quite had their moment to shine at Paris-Bercy. Sinner, the Italian sensation, has only managed to reach the round of 16 back in 2023, while Alcaraz, the young Spaniard, was knocked out in the second round last year by Russian Roman Safiullin.
However, Alcaraz seems to be hitting his stride after a challenging summer, which saw him stumble in tournaments like Cincinnati and the US Open. The Murcia-native showed his grit by bouncing back and clinching the ATP 500 title in Beijing in a thrilling final against Sinner. With his recent success, Alcaraz is skipping tournaments like Basel and Vienna to focus on his preparation for Paris-Bercy, hoping to carry that momentum into the Nitto ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
The draw for Alcaraz at Paris-Bercy seems favorable, with a bye in the first round and a potential second-round matchup against Nicolas Jarry or a qualifier. As he progresses, he may face tough opponents like Ugo Humbert or Brandon Nakashima, with a potential clash against top players like Tommy Paul or Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. The road to the finals could see him square off against heavyweights like Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz, or the previous year’s finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Of course, the dream final would be a faceoff against his fellow rising star, Sinner.
Renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared his insights on the remarkable rise of Alcaraz and Sinner, highlighting their unique playing styles. He praised Alcaraz for his flawless technique, saying, “Everything he does he does it perfectly. Forehand is unbelievable, backhand, I don’t see any weakness in that backhand.” Mouratoglou emphasized the distinctiveness of their games, hinting at a bright future for the young talents in the tennis world.
