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How Sinner can retake World No. 1 from Alcaraz in Paris

Jannik Sinner has an opportunity to reclaim World No. 1 from Carlos Alcaraz this week at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Alcaraz took the spot from his rival after winning the US Open and has held it since. The Italian can return the favour at the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season… at least for now.

Sinner must win the title to have a chance of returning to World No. 1 next Monday. If the 24-year-old lifts the trophy and Alcaraz does not reach the semi-finals, No. 1 will change hands.

PIF ATP Live Rankings (entering Paris)

Paris Result	Carlos Alcaraz	Jannik Sinner
R32	11,250	10,510
R16	11,340	10,600
QF	11,440	10,700
SF	11,640	10,900
Finalist	11,890	11,150
Champion	12,240	11,500

If Sinner does not claim his first Masters 1000 title of the season, he does not have a chance of returning to No. 1. Alcaraz can guarantee he will retain No. 1 by advancing to the semi-finals.

No matter what happens this week, Alcaraz remains in firm control of the battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The Spaniard currently leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, a barometer for the year-end No. 1 battle, by 2,040 points.

Sinner, whose opening opponent in France will be Zizou Bergs, must move to within 1,750 points by the end of the Rolex Paris Masters to have any chance of claiming a second year-end No. 1 finish. There are ATP 250 events in Athens and Metz, which Alcaraz and Sinner have not entered, and then the Nitto ATP Finals, where an undefeated champion would earn 1,500 points.

Alcaraz begins his tournament on Tuesday when he takes on Cameron Norrie in the second round.

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What were the Paris tennis results?

Day 1 of the 2025 Rolex Paris Masters saw 2018 champion Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik and Grigor Dimitrov win their first-round matches on Monday.

Khachanov eased past Ethan Quinn and Rublev defeated Jacob Fearnley. Bublik moved past Alexei Popyrin. 2023 finalist Dimitrov, competing in his first match since Wimbledon, defeated home favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

View all the results from Monday below.

Read more from Paris:
Dimitrov pulls away for Paris win in first match since Wimbledon
Alcaraz fresh and fired up in Paris: ‘This year is totally different’
How Diallo turned his parents’ journey into his own
Shapovalov on marriage, balance & comeback: ‘She’s always kept me level-headed’

Results – Monday, 27 October 2025

Men’s Singles – Round of 56

[WC] Arthur Cazaux (FRA) d Luciano Darderi (ITA) 76(5) 76(4)
[WC] Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) d Fabian Marozsan (HUN) 76(5) 76(4)
[12] Andrey Rublev d [Q] Jacob Fearnley (GBR) 61 64
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) d Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) 76(5) 61
[10] Karen Khachanov d [Q] Ethan Quinn (USA) 61 61
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) d Tomas Machac (CZE) 61 64
Cameron Norrie (GBR) d Sebastian Baez (ARG) 63 64
[Q] Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) d [WC] Terence Atmane (FRA) 64 26 64
[13] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) d Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 64 63
Alexandre Muller (FRA) d Brandon Nakashima (USA) 62 75
Daniel Altmaier (GER) d Marcos Giron (USA) 62 76(5)
Learner Tien (USA) d Nuno Borges (POR) 62 76(7)
Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) d [Q] Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 63 63
Zizou Bergs (BEL) d Alex Michelsen (USA) 63 26 62
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) d [LL] Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) 64 16 76(2)
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) d [Q] Sebastian Korda (USA) 62 63

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Norrie sets up meeting with Alcaraz in Paris

Britain’s Cameron Norrie will face world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the Paris Masters after beating Sebastian Baez.

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Rublev earns first win since US Open in Paris opener

Andrey Rublev secured his first match win since reaching the US Open fourth round with a 6-1, 6-4 result against Jacob Fearnley on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters. The 12th seed improved to 8-8 at the ATP Masters 1000 level this season after a 1-5 start, with recent quarter-final showings in Toronto and Cincinnati.

After cruising to a 6-1, 2-0 lead with the help of four breaks, Rublev found himself locked in a second-set battle when British qualifier Fearnley levelled at 2-2. The tension mounted as Rublev missed out on three break points at 3-2, but he took his next opportunity on a break chance that doubled as match point.

“I had a very good [opponent] today. He can play very well, he’s won good matches this year,” Rublev said post-match. “I was able to step up and play solid tennis. I’ve been struggling for a while with the wins. To win such a match like this on centre court, it’s a good feeling.”

Rublev converted five of his 10 break points in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, benefitting from 11 double faults from his opponent in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. He will next face Learner Tien, a 6-2, 7-6(7) winner against Nuno Borges earlier on Monday.

Alexander Bublik also advanced on the opening day in Paris. Playing Alexei Popyrin for the second time at an ATP Masters 1000 this season, the Kazakhstani repeated the result from their Madrid meeting with a 6-4, 6-3 win that levelled their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2.

A pair of Frenchmen of the same given name advanced by the same scoreline, as Arthur Rinderknech beat Fabian Marozsan and Arthur Cazaux edged Luciano Darderi, both 7-6(5), 7-6(4). The tie-break drama continued elsewhere as Miomir Kecmanovic defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(2).
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Engel wins youngest Challenger final since Ancic-Nadal to cap historic weekend

It was a historic weekend on the ATP Challenger Tour, highlighted by an-all #NextGenATP final between 18-year-olds Justin Engel and Federico Cina — the youngest championship match at that level since 2003, when Mario Ancic beat Rafael Nadal. Coincidentally, both of those matches happened in Hamburg, Germany.

That was not the only piece of history made Sunday. Patrick Kypson clinched the United States’ 20th Challenger title this year, breaking the country’s single-season record set in 2006.

With Joao Fonseca’s triumph at the ATP 500 in Basel, the Brazilian became the second player since 2014 to win multiple ATP Tour and multiple ATP Challenger Tour titles in the same season. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard also achieved the feat last year. Fonseca won the Canberra and Phoenix Challengers this year, while also triumphing at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires.

Engel overtook Fonseca as the youngest Challenger champion of 2025 with his dream run on home soil at the Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup, where he defeated Italian Federico Cina 7-5, 7-6(4) in the final. At 18 years and 25 days, Engel is the fifth-youngest German winner in Challenger history.

“Every title is a big one, especially my first Challenger,” said Engel, the first player born in 2007 to triumph on the Challenger Tour. “Cina is a big player and I knew before the match it was going to be a tough match. This win makes it even better and I’m really happy.”

Youngest combined ATP Challenger Tour finals since 2000

Year	Tournament	Winner	Runner-Up
2003	Hamburg	Mario Ancic (18 years, 10 months)	Rafael Nadal (16 years, seven months)
2025	Hamburg	Justin Engel (18 years, 25 days)	Federico Cina (18 years, six months)
2000	Montevideo	Guillermo Coria (18 years, 10 months)	Jose Acasuso (18 years, 29 days)

The fourth-seeded Engel held his nerve in pressure moments throughout the week, winning all seven tie-breaks which he contested. Following his title run, Engel jumped three spots to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. He is aiming for his maiden trip to the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Kypson, 25, won his third Challenger title of the season and sixth overall with a gutsy final performance at the MarketBeat Open in South Dakota. Kypson edged Briton Johannus Monday 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 7-5 in the final. The American saved all six break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and earned a decisive break at 5-5 in the third set when Monday committed his lone double fault of the match.

“I think the margins were so thin today and you could only chalk it up to continuing to do what you were doing throughout the match,” said Kypson. “At the end of the day, luck plays a little bit of a role and I stuck to what I was doing and ultimately I was able to save those break points and come out on top.”

<img alt=”Patrick Kypson wins the MarketBeat Open, an ATP Challenger Tour 100 event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/27/13/05/kypson-siouxfallsch-2025.jpg” />
^{Patrick Kypson wins the ATP Challenger Tour 100 event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Credit: Jason Harris/MarketBeatOpen}

From mid-January to mid-April, Kypson was sidelined with a stress fracture in his left foot and as a result, he fell as low as No. 455 in the PIF ATP Rankings during that span. Kypson is now No. 146 and closing in on his career-high No. 133, which he reached in April 2024. The United States leads all countries with 20 Challenger titles this season, with second-placed France just one behind.

“We have a lot of guys ranked between the Top 100 and 200, young guys, a
couple of veterans in there,” said Kypson. “We have a pretty strong group of guys right now and we are all trying to push each other to get into the Top 100. It’s pretty impressive to win 20 titles in a season.”

Kypson is the third American since 1978 to win a Challenger title on clay, outdoor hard and indoor hard in the same season, alongside Robby Ginepri (2002) and Michael Russell (2009).

Nishioka returns to winner’s circle:
Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka capped a dominant week at the Suzhou Challenger 2025, where he did not drop a set across five matches to lift his seventh title at that level. The top seed ousted Frenchman Harold Mayot 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Nishioka, former No. 24, was playing just his fourth event at Challenger level this season.

<img alt=”Yoshihito Nishioka in action at the Suzhou Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/27/13/11/nishioka-suzhouch-2025.jpg” />
^{Yoshihito Nishioka in action at the Suzhou Challenger. Credit: Suzhou Challenger 2025}

Burruchaga charging towards Top 100 with latest title:
Roman Andres Burruchaga inched closer to making his Top 100 debut with his triumph at the Costa do Sauipe Open in Brazil. Burruchaga ended Adolfo Daniel Vallejo’s nine-match winning streak in the final, spoiling the Paraguayan’s quest for a second consecutive title with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory. The Argentine is up to a career-high No. 106 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

<img alt=”Roman Andres Burruchaga at the Costa do Sauipe Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/27/13/18/burruchaga-costadosauipech-2025.jpg” />
^{Roman Andres Burruchaga wins the Costa do Sauipe Challenger. Credit: João Pires}

Gaston goes the distance at home
French lefty Hugo Gaston continued his run of form at the indoor events on home soil. The 25-year-old had reached the final at the Rennes and Roanne Challengers in the past month, yet went one step further at the Brest Open Groupe Vert to capture his sixth Challenger title. Gaston beat American Eliot Spizzirri 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

“It was a very complicated match, under constant pressure,” Gaston said. “I tried to hang on at the start of the second, and as time went on I managed to put my game together. I stayed in the match from start to finish. I’m really happy to have won this tournament. I still had some doubts, but I didn’t give up.”

<img alt=”Hugo Gaston celebrates winning the Brest Challenger. Credit: Benjamin Croizet” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/27/13/13/gaston-brestch-2025.jpg” />
^{Hugo Gaston celebrates winning the Brest Challenger. Credit: Benjamin Croizet}

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How Gabriel Diallo turned his parents' journey into his own

Gabriel Diallo speaks with the kind of humility that makes you stop and listen. There’s a calmness in his voice: Not the tone of someone boasting about his success, but someone deeply aware of the path that led him there.

The 24-year-old Canadian knows that his journey didn’t start on a tennis court, but back in 1991 when his parents left Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in search of a better life. Diallo’s Ukrainian mother, Iryna, and his Guinean father, Moubassirou, opted to stage their next chapter in Montreal, Canada.

“I’m sure they had dreams and ambitions when they were living there,” Diallo told ATPTour.com in Paris. “They had to put that on hold and move to Canada and start a new life. I’m sure they didn’t come in with the most amount of money. I’m just aware of what they had to go through to put me in this position.

“My mum had to work two jobs, my dad had to work a job he didn’t necessarily like. Being conscious of that is why I try to give my all and put my best efforts into everything I do. It’s my way of giving back to them.”

Diallo, who is enjoying a rock-solid 2025 season, is currently reaping the rewards of that sense of gratitude. The Montreal native climbed to his career-high No. 33 in the PIF ATP Rankings in August after he lifted his maiden ATP Tour trophy on the grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Standing 6’8” with a thunderous serve and explosive groundstrokes, Diallo looks every inch the modern tennis powerhouse. Yet his path to the sport wasn’t scripted, it was more of a happy accident.

“They just wanted to give me an opportunity to have an education, to have a better life than what they had there. That was the main goal for them, but it just so happened that I really enjoyed sports growing up,” said Diallo. “I was really active… They put me onto tennis and for some reason it really stuck.

“When they saw it in my eyes that I wanted to play, they went all in, just as I did, and it just so happened that I ended up being a professional tennis player.”

That commitment from his parents and his own determination paid off in spectacular fashion. When Diallo redirected a backhand winner past good friend Zizou Bergs in the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final in June, he fell to the ground in disbelief. He was an ATP Tour champion.

Watch Diallo capture his first ATP Tour title: 

As special as that moment was, it was one of many milestones that affirmed the sacrifices made for him. A standout at the University of Kentucky, Diallo still remembers the joy of earning his college scholarship.

“My family and I were pretty fired up about that. We thought that everything after that was a bonus,” Diallo said of his scholarship. “I got my free education, college degree… But everything happened very fast and four years later I am playing on the ATP Tour, so we’re very happy.”

Diallo has plenty of reasons to smile now, but his rise was far from straightforward. Before college, he spent three formative years training with Sam Aliassime — father of countryman and former World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime — at his academy in Quebec, a period that helped him rediscover belief in his potential.

“I didn’t have the best results during my teen years. I’m sure other people will tell you: I had potential but I couldn’t quite figure it out on the tennis court, I needed time to develop,” Diallo recalled. “I had a lot of moments of doubt, a lot of moments where I wanted to stop, because it wasn’t working out.

“At that age, it’s tough to see the bigger picture, to see yourself in five or 10 years. But luckily, my parents never gave up and obviously Felix’s dad played a huge role in that, giving me a chance to train at his academy. After that I went to college and nothing was the same after that.”

Last week, Diallo faced Felix for the first time in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, marking a symbolic full-circle moment for both. One year apart in age, Auger-Aliassime broke through first, capturing four ATP Tour titles in 2022, while Diallo was still competing in college.

Now, Diallo has joined him among Canada’s elite, armed with a booming serve, quiet confidence, and a deep understanding of where it all began. As he steps onto court at the Rolex Paris Masters this week, his focus is simple: keep building, keep believing, and keep honouring the sacrifices that started it all.

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Shapovalov on marriage, balance & comeback: 'She's always kept me level-headed'

It’s been a year of rediscovery for Denis Shapovalov. One filled with milestones off the court, too.

Titles in Dallas and Los Cabos marked his resurgence, while his marriage to former WTA player Mirjam Bjorklund has brought a sense of calm and balance to his life. Now back inside the Top 25 of the PIF ATP Rankings, Shapovalov is feeling both grounded and inspired — though, as he jokes, influenced by another member of the family, their dog Yatzy.

“I think getting a dog was a much bigger change than having the wedding,” Shapovalov joked to ATPTour.com in Paris. “We have to get used to calling each other husband and wife, but other than that everything has stayed pretty much the same between us. Having our dog in our lives is definitely a cool addition.”

If Shapovalov seems more relaxed on and off court these days, much of that, he admits, comes from Bjorklund’s steadying presence. The pair, who tied the knot last month in a picturesque Greek ceremony, have long been one of tennis’ closest couples, each deeply understanding the highs and lows of life on Tour.

Shapovalov spent the final six months of the 2023 season sidelined with a left knee injury, unsure if he would ever rediscover his explosive best. Through that period, Bjorklund was his anchor.

“She’s a big reason why I am able to do what I can today,” Shapovalov said. “She’s been around for many years and has seen me through the ups and downs. Especially during the injury time, it was a very difficult time in my life.

“Even when I was coming back, I was having a lot of conversations with her, saying ‘I’m not sure if I’m ever going to get back to my level’. But she always kept me level-headed and told me to take it one moment at a time. She had a lot of confidence that I’ll be back where I am today, so a lot of credit to her.”

 

 

 

 

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That belief has translated into results. Shapovalov has tallied 26 wins in 2025 and his strong finish to the season has also featured a semi-final run in Stockholm and a quarter-final finish in Basel, where he was forced to retire in the third set against eventual champion Joao Fonseca.

The familiar rhythm of the ATP Tour’s indoor hard-court swing has always suited the 26-year-old: His powerful shotmaking and aggressive returning thrive under the lights and faster conditions.

“I always feel I am able to play good tennis at this part of the season at the indoor tournaments,” said Shapovalov. “It always brings out the best tennis that I can play. I feel comfortable and I’ve been able to play some really good matches lately, so I’m happy with that.”

Now at the Rolex Paris Masters, Shapovalov will get a chance for quick revenge when he faces the #NextGenATP Brazilian in the first round on Tuesday. Though he trails 0-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, the Canadian will be able to draw on fond memories he holds in the French capital, where he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in 2019 before falling to Novak Djokovic.

Despite the move to La Défense Arena for the 2025 edition and the lingering injury concern over his right knee — the reason for his Basel retirement — Shapovalov remains upbeat.

“It’s a little bit different this year because it’s a different site, but this period I have been able to play great tennis for multiple seasons, so I always get good feelings, no matter where I play indoors,” said Shapovalov. “Coming back to Paris — the last big tournament of the year — it’s very special for me.”

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Defending champions Krawietz & Puetz qualify for Nitto ATP Finals

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz will return to the Nitto ATP Finals to defend their title.

One year ago, the Germans made their team debut at Inalpi Arena. From 9-16 November, they will try to lift the trophy once again.

Krawietz and Puetz have shown consistency throughout the 2025 season and by doing so became the sixth team to qualify, joining Julian Cash/Lloyd Glasspool, Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic, Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos, Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten and Joe Salisbury/Neal Skupski in Turin.

The pair’s two biggest moments of the season came in Halle and Shanghai, where they lifted the trophy. Krawietz and Puetz also made finals in Adelaide and Munich, as well as semi-finals at the Australian Open, Madrid and Toronto.

Krawietz has also competed in the Nitto ATP Finals twice with Andreas Mies and once with Horia Tecau. Puetz has only played in the season finale with Krawietz.

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Zverev: The fast starter ready to finish on fire

Zverev: The fast starter ready to finish on fire

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Humbert, last year's finalist, withdraws from Rolex Paris Masters

Ugo Humbert withdrew from the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday morning.

The French No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who reached last year’s final, was picking up pace on his return to indoor courts. He reached the final in Stockholm and the semi-finals in Basel, where he was forced to retire against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Humbert was scheduled to face the Spaniard again in his Paris opener on Tuesday, but he withdrew due to injury.

Dropping his points tally from reaching last year’s final, Humbert will slip outside of the Top 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since 2023.

Valentin Royer, who fell to Sebastian Korda in the final round of qualifying, will replace Humbert in the main draw. He faces a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with the 15th-seeded Davidovich Fokina.

Humbert owns a 25-20 tour-level record this year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, highlighted by winning his seventh ATP Tour title in Marseille in February.

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