Paris Masters: Where Tennis Stars Go When They’ve Had Enough of Tennis
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Tennis events are rarely predictable, yet now and then the Paris Masters always seems to follow a familiar script. Every November, some of the world’s finest tennis players arrive in the French capital, collect their complimentary tournament merchandise, perhaps enjoy a croissant or two, and then lose to somebody ranked about 70 places below them.
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You see, playing tennis for 11 months is quite enough, and this past Wednesday was a wonderful example. Alexander Zverev lost. Novak Djokovic lost. Daniil Medvedev lost. Alex de Minaur lost. Frances Tiafoe lost. At one point, the tournament seemed less interested in determining its champion than establishing how quickly it could get everybody through passport control.
And the funniest part? This happens almost every year.
Paris Masters: Where Stars Go When They’ve Had Enough
Paris Has Been Sending Players on Holiday for Years
The tournament has a distinguished history of encouraging early vacations. In 2023, Carlos Alcaraz lost his opening match to Roman Safiullin, while Medvedev disappeared against Grigor Dimitrov at the same stage. A year later, Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud all lost their opening matches.
Four Top 10 players, gone before the tournament had properly begun. This year, however, might be particularly special. Zverev arrived as the newly crowned world No. 1, having won two Grand Slams this season. Lorenzo Musetti promptly defeated him 7-6 6-2.
The German led 5-2 in the opening tiebreak before losing five straight points. He then surrendered the second set with relatively little resistance. Medvedev, meanwhile, lost 6-4 6-4 to Ignacio Buse, a 22-year-old Peruvian who had never previously beaten a Top 10 opponent.
The Russian complained about the playing conditions afterward and at this stage, one suspects he would prefer the Paris Masters to be played somewhere entirely different. Perhaps Dubai or his living room. Then came De Minaur. The Australian needed one victory to move into an ATP Finals qualifying position. He created 13 break points against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, converted one and lost 7-6 6-3. Clearly, he didn’t want to go to Turin.
And Djokovic? The seven-time Paris Masters champion won the opening set 6-2 against qualifier Rinky Hijikata before losing 2-6 6-3 6-3. That ended his Turin hopes. Tiafoe somehow managed to outdo everybody. The American served for his match against Quentin Halys, then held four match points in the deciding tiebreak, lost all four, and eventually lost the match 6-3 1-6 7-6. Tremendously generous by the American.
And Then There’s Carlos Alcaraz
Amid this mass evacuation, one player appears positively delighted to be competing: Alcaraz. The Spaniard returned from an extended injury absence earlier this season and has been playing with remarkable enthusiasm since. He won Vienna last weekend without dropping a set, then defeated Alex Michelsen 7-6 6-3 in Paris. He even recovered from 4-1 down in the opening tiebreak.
While everybody else is apparently searching for flights home, Alcaraz is behaving like somebody who has just discovered tennis. And perhaps that is the real explanation for the Paris Masters’ annual collection of surprises. By November, some players are managing injuries, others are physically exhausted, and several have already qualified for Turin. Meanwhile, their lower-ranked opponents arrive with everything to gain and occasionally produce the matches of their lives.
Fatigue isn’t always the reason; sometimes the underdog is simply excellent, but the calendar certainly helps.
The Last Word
The Paris Masters has once again shown why being the better tennis player does not necessarily mean winning the tennis match, especially in November. Zverev is going to Turin. Medvedev is going to Turin. Djokovic is going home. De Minaur would probably quite like to forget Paris exists.
And Alcaraz? He is still playing. Some players arrive chasing ranking points. Others arrive chasing titles. And a few, apparently, arrive chasing the earliest available flight home.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports