Carlos Alcaraz will attempt to win his ninth ATP Tour title of the year when he steps onto court at the Paris Masters.
The Spaniard is competing on the Tour for the first time since the Japan Open, where he overcame an injury issue to win his eighth title of the year.
Alcaraz has never won the Paris Masters. In fact, he has never advanced past the quarter-final stage.
His best performance occurred in 2022, when he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion Holger Rune.
The Spaniard is in Paris ahead of his second-round tie against either Cameron Norrie or Sebastian Baez, and he is scheduled to practice with a player who has been in great form heading into the final Masters 1000 event of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled to practice with Arthur Rinderknech
Alcaraz, who has been given a tough draw at the Paris Masters, is set to practice with Shanghai Masters finalist Arthur Rinderknech on Saturday.
Earlier in October, then world number 54 Rinderknech defeated Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev on his way to the Shanghai Masters final.
There, he met his cousin and world number 204 Valentin Vacherot, who won the title.
Alcaraz and Rinderknech’s practice session could foreshadow a later meeting between the pair.
If Alcaraz defeats Norrie or Baez in the Paris Masters second round, he will face one of Vacherot, Jiri Lehecka, or Rinderknech in the third round.
How did Alcaraz fare at the 2024 Paris Masters?
Carlos Alcaraz has an opportunity to further extend his lead at the top of the ATP rankings when he competes in Paris.
In 2024, the Spaniard defeated Nicolas Jarry, before losing to Ugo Humbert in the round of 16.
This meant Alcaraz only won 100 ATP points at the tournament. Therefore, if Alcaraz captures his first Paris Masters title in 2025, he will gain 900 ATP points.
However, Alcaraz’s task is far from easy, as he has been handed a very tough draw.
