Paris Bercy Masters Preview: Djokovic and Alcaraz race for No. 1, ATP Finals spots up for grabs
In the past, this 1000 didn’t always benefit from its place on the calendar. That shouldn’t be the case this year.
In the past, the Rolex Paris Masters didn’t always benefit from its place on the ATP calendar. It came up quickly after the Asian swing, and was quickly followed by an even bigger event, the ATP Finals. For some, Bercy could be one Masters 1000 too many to get up for.
That shouldn’t be the case in 2023. This time, the tour’s No. 1 and 2, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, are both present and accounted for, as is everyone else in the Top 10. There’s a good deal at stake for most of them. Djokovic and Alcaraz are dueling for the year-end No. 1, while several others are either trying to hang on to spots in the year-end championships in Turin—or trying to steal them.
The men’s regular season ends this week. Here’s a look ahead at what we might see, and what it might mean. (Click HERE for the draw.)
First Quarter
Djokovic is back atop the rankings, and the draw brackets. He arrives with a narrow 500-point lead over Alcaraz, but maintaining that edge wasn’t enough to make him go to Asia this year. He’ll be playing his first tour event since the US Open in Bercy. It’s not a bad place for him to return; he’s won this tournament six times, and has been in the last two finals.
That said, Djokovic’s draw is an eye-opener. In his second match, he could play the man he beat, and hung up on, at the US Open, Ben Shelton. In the quarters, he could face the man he lost to in Paris last year, Holger Rune.
Rune should be a desperate man this week. He’s hanging onto the final spot in Turin, with a 215-point lead over Hubert Hurkacz, and he has a thousand points from 2022 to defend. In his second match, Rune could face another player who is hot on his heels in the same race, Taylor Fritz.
First-round matches to watch:
- Shelton vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- Dominic Thiem vs. Stan Wawrinka
Semifinalist: Djokovic
Second Quarter
Jannik Sinner has played as well an anyone since the start of Wimbledon, and he’s coming off one of his toughest and most satisfying wins, in three hours, over Daniil Medvedev in the Vienna final. But that may not bode well for the week ahead. The last time he beat Medvedev in a 500 final, in Beijing earlier this month, he only reached the round of 16 in the Shanghai Masters that followed. This back-to-back may be even more difficult, considering how exhausting his Vienna victory was.
Still, Sinner has a bye, and will face either J.J. Wolf or Mackenzie McDonald to start. After that, he could play Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, and either Andrey Rublev or Tommy Paul in the quarters. The fact that Sinner and Rublev have already qualified for Turin could make this a quarter that’s ripe for surprises.
First-round match to watch: De Minaur vs. Andy Murray
Semifinalist: Paul
Third Quarter
How much would Casper Ruud love to swipe the last spot in Turin from his Scand-enemy Holger Rune? It will take some effort, and some luck. Right now he’s 400 or so points back, with two other players—Hurkacz and Fritz—ahead of him.
In fact, Ruud could meet Hurkacz in the third round. The Pole has been in top form of late, winning Shanghai, making the final in Basel, and nearly catching Rune at No. 8. Another good run this week could get him over the hump.
Question Mark: Medvedev. He’s coming off a tiring loss to Sinner, and has secured his spot in Turin. That might lead to an early exit, but he has been to the Bercy final twice before.
First-round matches to watch:
- Gael Monfils vs. Francisco Cerundolo
- Hurkacz vs. Sebastian Korda
Semifinalist: Hurkacz
Fourth Quarter
Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the top two seeds here, and both have year-end races they’d like to win. Alcaraz is trying to overtake Djokovic for No. 1, while Tsitsipas is trying to hang on to a spot in Turin. Despite a sometimes-subpar season, he’s in a strong position, in sixth place, 400 points of No. 7, Alexander Zverev. Those two could square off in the third round, while Alcaraz could get 2018 Bercy champ Karen Khachanov at the same stage.
First-round matches to watch:
- Felix Auger Aliassime, winner in Basel, vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
- Zverev vs. Marton Fucsovics
Semifinalist: Alcaraz