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Aryna Sabalenka has revealed her “hope” of continuing her fine form beyond 2025 after sealing a second straight year-end world No 1 finish.

World No 1 Sabalenka is set to take to the court for one final tournament in 2025, with the 27-year-old looking to lift the WTA Finals title for the first time in Riyadh.

Regardless of how she fares in Riyadh, the Belarusian is guaranteed to finish 2025 atop the WTA Rankings, with the cushion between her and world No 2 Iga Swiatek too big for the Pole to close down.

Sabalenka also finished as the year-end No 1 in 2024, and she will become just the seventh woman to spend a full calendar year atop the WTA Rankings since the rankings system launched in 1975.

She is the first woman to achieve that feat since Ashleigh Barty in 2021, also joining Serena Williams, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert in that exclusive club.

Sabalenka was asked about securing the year-end No 1 ranking during her pre-tournament press conference in Riyadh and admitted it was “crazy” to think she had achieved such consistency.

“It means a lot,” said Sabalenka.

“It just tells how consistent I am as a player, which is crazy to think. If you go back like five years ago, if someone would tell me I’ll be that consistent, I would be shocked. It just tells me that the hard work pays off.

“I really hope that I will just keep doing what I’m doing.”

Sabalenka has won a tour-leading four WTA titles in 2025, with a further four finals to her name across the year.

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The Belarusian claimed her fourth Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final, after tough defeats at the opening three majors of the season.

Madison Keys beat her in the Australian Open final, and she then fell to Coco Gauff in the French Open final, before falling to Anisimova in the semi-final of Wimbledon — with all those defeats coming in three sets.

Sabalenka’s reaction to her French Open final defeat attracted criticism from some quarters, and she later faced renewed pressure to cap off her dominant season with a Slam title in New York, though she would successfully defend her title at Flushing Meadows.

Reflecting on her year, the 27-year-old revealed she was “grateful” for what she had learned ahead of her run to the title in New York.

She added: “I mean, it was tough. It was really tough. It was tough lessons. But, at the end, I think it was much-needed lessons.

“I had to learn how to control myself even better. Even though I improved a lot in that part of the game, still, you know, not good enough. I think in those big finals, that’s one thing that was missing, was my emotions.

“I think especially after Roland Garros and the media and everything that happened after the match, I just had to sit back and look at everything from the side, and take better control over my emotions.

“After winning the US Open, I was actually quite grateful for those lessons.

“It was really tough. But I spend so much time and years in this sport to [not] just give up after a couple losses in the finals, which is not the first round. It means I’m just there, I need to learn something, improve it and try better.”

Sabalenka is the top seed at the WTA Finals and will begin her campaign on Sunday against eighth seed Jasmine Paolini, whom she beat in the round-robin stage back in 2024.

She will also take on third seed Gauff — in their first meeting since the French Open final — and fifth seed Jessica Pegula, who snapped a four-match losing streak to Sabalenka at the Wuhan Open earlier this month.

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion was a finalist at the year-end championships back in 2022, finishing as the runner-up to Caroline Garcia in Fort Worth.

Read Next: WTA Finals: What ranking points have Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff & co dropped from 2024 tournament?

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Jannik Sinner has made a concerning admission after struggling physically in his win against Francisco Cerundolo in the third round of the 2025 Paris Masters.

The four-time Grand Slam champion showed signs of discomfort during his 7-5, 6-1 victory over world No 21 Cerundolo at the Paris La Defense Arena on Thursday evening.

Sinner stretched his right leg, and his movement between points looked laboured at times, particularly in the first set. He did not receive treatment, though, and he was dominant against the 27-year-old Argentine in the second set.

Jannik Sinner gives update on his physical condition

• After his last 16 win at the Paris Masters, Jannik Sinner revealed he is “trying to manage” an issue “as best I can”
• Sinner added that it is “clear” he is “not at 100%” physically
• Sinner said he will need to be at his best to face Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals and declared he will “recover physically”

Sinner started his campaign at the Paris Masters with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over 41st-ranked Zizou Bergs on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old’s potential right leg injury comes after he dealt with leg cramps in the third set of his Vienna Open final win over Alexander Zverev last week.

The world No 2 was forced to retire due to cramping when trailing 2-3 in the third set of his Shanghai Masters third round match with Tallon Griekspoor earlier this month.

What Sinner said after beating Cerundolo in Paris

Following his win against Cerundolo at the ATP 1000 tournament, Sinner spoke candidly about his physical struggles in the match.

“I’m trying to manage it as best I can, but it’s clear I’m not at 100%. But we’ll see,” he told reporters.

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“I feel like today’s match was less physical, which is good for me. I’m happy to have won it in two sets, in under an hour and a half. I’m going to sleep very well tonight.”

Sinner added: “I was up twice with the break in the first set and I could not convert.

“I put myself in not an easy situation, but I am happy with how I ended the match and I felt much better. Hopefully, it will give me the confidence to start off in a good way tomorrow.”

Sinner: Ben Shelton is a “very difficult” opponent

Sinner will face world No 7 Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals, and he was wary of the threat the explosive American poses.

“Hopefully, I can recover physically, which is my main priority. Today was a great match and a great performance from my side,” Sinner said.

“Tomorrow I have a very difficult opponent. I have to play at 100%. I hope I can. We’re all expecting a great match.”

The Italian holds a 6-1 record against Shelton, having won the last five encounters in straight sets.

READ NEXT: How Jannik Sinner can overtake Carlos Alcaraz as world No 1 after the Paris Masters

The post What Jannik Sinner said about Paris Masters fitness concerns after injury scare appeared first on Tennis365.

The Race to the 2025 ATP Finals is nearing the finish line, and the closing stages of the Paris Masters will decide which player takes the eighth spot in Turin.

Seven players have qualified for the ATP Finals, and Lorenzo Musetti, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev remain in contention.

Auger-Aliassime, Bublik and Medvedev are all still competing in Paris, while Musetti — who currently occupies the No 8 spot — lost in his opening match.

ATP Finals Race to Turin update

• Seven of the eight qualifiers for the 2025 ATP Finals have been confirmed: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton
• Lorenzo Musetti is in the eighth and final qualification spot, but he could still be overtaken by Felix Auger-Aliassime
• Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Bublik can both jump to ninth in the Race to Turin if they win the Paris Masters, which would be enough to qualify if a player withdraws

The ATP Finals is the biggest tournament in men’s tennis outside the four Grand Slams, and it has been staged at the Palasport Olimpico in Turin, Italy since 2021.

Jannik Sinner is the reigning champion, having won his maiden title at the season-ending championships in 2024.

Who has qualified for the ATP Finals?

Prior to the Paris Masters, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev had all qualified for the ATP Finals.

Taylor Fritz became the fifth man to book a spot in Turin when Lorenzo Musetti fell in his opening match in Paris.

Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur qualified on Thursday after they defeated Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov respectively in the last 16.

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Who is still in contention?

Musetti looked a clear favourite to claim the eighth and final qualification spot heading into Paris, but his second round loss to Italian compatriot Lorenzo Sonego left the door open.

The 23-year-old remains eighth, and he can only be overtaken if Felix Auger-Aliassime reaches the final in Paris.

Auger-Aliassime, who is 290 points adrift of Musetti, will face Valentin Vacherot in the quarter-finals.

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Bublik both need Auger-Aliassime to fall in the quarter-finals to remain in contention in the Race.

If Auger-Aliassime does lose to Vacherot, one of Medvedev or Bublik could move above him into the No 9 position if they win the Paris Masters.

Medvedev and Bublik cannot catch Musetti, so they can finish no higher than ninth. They would, therefore, need a player who has qualified for the ATP Finals to withdraw in order to feature.

This is a possibility as there is uncertainty over the participation of Djokovic — who pulled out of last year’s event after qualifying.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was ruled out of the Race after his third round defeat to Zverev on Thursday.

ATP Rankings Race to Turin (before the Paris Masters quarter-finals on October 31, 2025)

1) Carlos Alcaraz, 11,050 – Q (Lost in Paris Masters 2R)
2) Jannik Sinner, 9,200 – Q (Paris Masters QF)
3) Alexander Zverev, 4,760 – Q (Paris Masters QF)
4) Novak Djokovic, 4,580 – Q (Not playing at Paris Masters)
5) Ben Shelton, 3,970 – Q (Paris Masters QF)
6) Taylor Fritz, 3,935 – Q (Lost in Paris Masters 3R)
7) Alex de Minaur, 3,935 – Q (Paris Masters QF)
8) Lorenzo Musetti, 3,685 (Lost in Paris Masters 2R)
Provisional cutoff
9) Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3,395 (Paris Masters QF)
10) Jack Draper, 2,990 (Absent, out of contention)
11) Casper Ruud, 2,835 (Lost in Paris Masters 2R, out of contention)
12) Daniil Medvedev, 2,760 (Paris Masters QF)
13) Alexander Bublik, 2,670 (Paris Masters QF)

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘listless’ Paris Masters loss came after his ‘hunger’ was questioned by ex-ATP star

The post ATP Rankings Race to Turin: Ben Shelton & Alex de Minaur qualify as 4 players remain in contention appeared first on Tennis365.

Valentin Vacherot has continued his remarkable Masters 1000 streak by reaching the quarter-finals at the ATP 1000 in Paris, and he is set to reach a new milestone in the rankings.

The Monegasque, who is competing as a wildcard in Paris, defeated world No 31 Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 6-4 in the third round at the Paris La Defense Arena.

The big-serving Vacherot saved all five of the break points he faced in the match and broke the 30-year-old Brit for the only time in the fifth game of the second set.

Valentin Vacherot’s Paris Masters run

• Valentin Vacherot overcame Cameron Norrie at the Paris Masters for his 10th consecutive win at Masters 1000 level
• The 26-year-old has climbed 10 places to a projected new career-high of 30th in the Live ATP Rankings, and he could break into the top 20 if he wins the title
• Vacherot has spoken about the belief he had to break into the top 50 in the rankings when he was ranked outside the top 200

Vacherot’s win against Norrie was his third victory at the Paris Masters after he saw off Jiri Lehecka and Arthur Rinderknech in the opening two rounds.

Remarkably, Vacherot has now won 10 successive main draw matches at Masters 1000 level as his Paris run has followed his staggering surge to the Shanghai Masters title earlier this month.

Vacherot is only the second ever player to win 10 or more consecutive matches at Masters events while ranked outside the top 20 after David Nalbandian in 2007.

In Shanghai, Vacherot shocked the tennis world by securing his maiden title as a 204th-ranked qualifier, winning nine matches (seven in the main draw after two qualifiers).

His victory at the ATP 1000 tournament in China saw his ranking skyrocket 164 places to world No 40. His previous career-high ranking was 110th.

How has Vacherot’s Paris run affected his ranking?

With his three wins en route to the last eight in Paris, Vacherot has collected 200 points, which has boosted his tally to 1,483.

This has moved Vacherot from 40th to a projected new career-best position of 30th in the Live ATP Rankings.

If Vacherot advances to the semi-finals, he will move to 1,683 points, which would put him 24th in the rankings.

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Losing in the Paris Masters final would see Vacherot jump to 1,933 points, leaving him 23rd.

If Vacherot were to secure his second straight Masters title, he would have 2,283 points, which would put him 19th in the current live rankings.

What did Vacherot say about his ranking rise after beating Norrie?

After his win against Norrie in Paris, Vacherot explained how he was derailed by an injury last year when at his previous career-high ranking of 110th.

“Before I actually sustained an injury, I was ranked 110. There were a lot of points to defend, so I went down in the ranking,” he said in his press conference.

“But what is crazy is that I played much better this year rather than last year, and it was so hard for me to reach the quarter-finals.

“I didn’t reach a lot of semi-finals and finals, but I continue to believe in it right now. Maybe what was abnormal, it was rather to be ranked No 204. I knew that I could play better. I didn’t really think about it.

“I knew that my level was closer to the top 100, and then that I could break into the top 50 rather than being actually ranked 200.”

Who will Vacherot play next?

Vacherot will take on world No 10 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters on Friday.

READ NEXT: McEnroe reveals what his ‘gut is telling him’ about Novak Djokovic’s schedule

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In a battle of two rising WTA Tour stars at the 2025 Hong Kong Tennis Open, Victoria Mboko fought back to overcome Alex Eala in three sets.

Mboko advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong after prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Eala in the second round.

Both Mboko and Eala are set to continue their climb up the WTA Rankings in next week’s update, with the pair currently projected to reach new career-high positions.

Victoria Mboko beats Alex Eala in Hong Kong

• Victoria Mboko made an impressive comeback to defeat Alex Eala in three sets in the second round of the Hong Kong Tennis Open
• As things stand, Mboko is set to break into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings for the first time having jumped one place from 21st – and she could yet rise further
• Eala is up from 51st to a projected new career-high ranking of 50th in the Live WTA Rankings

Eala looked to be closing in on a big win after breaking Mboko in the Canadian’s first two service games of the third set to take a 4-1 lead.

Mboko, though, won the next five games to seal a comeback victory in just under two and a half hours.

This was the first WTA Tour encounter between 19-year-old Mboko and 20-year-old Eala.

Mboko and Eala are set for WTA Rankings milestones

With her run to the quarter-finals in Hong Kong, Mboko has increased her points tally by 48 points to 1,961.

This has lifted Mboko from 21st to a projected new career-high ranking of 20th in the Live WTA Rankings, moving her above Diana Shnaider.

The only way Mboko could remain in 21st place is if she lost in the quarter-finals and her Canadian compatriot, Leylah Fernandez, won the title in Hong Kong.

If Mboko progresses to the semi-finals, she will jump above Elise Mertens and Karolina Muchova into 18th place — which is the highest ranking she could achieve.

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Eala, meanwhile, has boosted her points tally by 12 points to 1,143 for reaching the second round in Hong Kong, climbing above Anastasia Potapova. This would be a new best ranking for the Filipina.

The only players who could still overtake Eala are Alycia Parks and Cristina Bucsa, who are in action in Jiujiang and Hong Kong respectively.

What next for Mboko in Hong Kong?

Mboko will face world No 35 and sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya in the quarter-finals in Hong Kong.

Kalinskaya, a 26-year-old Russian, destroyed Zhang Shaui 6-1, 6-1 in the second round after seeing off Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.

This will be a first meeting between Mboko and Kalinskaya.

READ NEXT: Who are Victoria Mboko’s parents and siblings? Canadian star’s family inspired her rise

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Carlos Alcaraz has been told his attitude and body language left a lot to be desired during his Paris Masters exit with a renowned journalist reminding him that Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer “managed to win because they fought with humility”.

After reaching nine consecutive top-level finals – including three Grand Slam finals in a row – Alcaraz started the final ATP 1000 tournament of the season as the heavy favourite alongside Jannik Sinner.

But the world No 1 produced an erratic display during his second-round match at La Défense Arena as he went down 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Cameron Norrie, who is currently at No 31 in the ATP Rankings.

Alcaraz’s frustrations often boiled over and he was involved in several heated discussions with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The six-time Grand Slam winner was told by Ferrero to “See what you are doing well and correct it”, but the 22-year-old fired back saying, “I’m doing everything wrong.”

He was also unhappy with the speed of the court as he vented: “I don’t feel it. Zero! I feel nothing. This is worse than Monte Carlo.”

The defeat was Alcaraz’s first before a final since the Miami Open in March when he was beaten in the round of 64 by David Goffin.

And he is now in danger of losing the No 1 spot in the ATP Rankings to Jannik Sinner.

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French tennis journalist Benoît Maylin cautioned Alcaraz during the Sans Filet programme as he urged the Spaniard to take a leaf out of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer’s book when it comes to winning matches when not playing well.

“When you’ve played nine finals in a row and you’ve just beaten Norrie at Wimbledon, you obviously come into this tournament thinking, ‘Let’s keep going, I’m untouchable, I’m going to get through my rounds’,” Maylin said.

“I didn’t like his attitude. I didn’t like his body language, getting angry, telling himself he couldn’t do it. You have to be able to win when you’re playing badly, as your illustrious predecessors did.

“Nadal, Djokovic and Federer didn’t always play their best tennis, but they managed to win because they fought with humility.

“Rafa would never have had such an attitude on the court. He needs to be careful not to let a little ego take hold.

“Everyone says that Sinner and Alcaraz are untouchable, so he hears it too. He’s such a star that he also needs to know how to come back down to earth, go deep into the mine with Norrie, get out the pickaxe and win matches like that.”

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Emma Raducanu has decided to move away from the traditional events to kick off her tennis season as she will feature in a team competition at the start of her 2026 WTA Tour campaign.

The 2021 US Open winner has decided to join forces with Jack Draper to represent Great Britain at the season-opening United Cup, which will be staged in Sydney and Perth from January 2-11.

“I’m honoured to be able to make my United Cup debut in January,” Raducanu said. “Being able to play for Team GB with my team-mates is a unique opportunity and week to enjoy.

“It’s great to be able to experience a new format on the tour, represent my country and spend a couple extra weeks in Australia.”

It is a change in strategy from the 22-year-old as she opted to start her season in New Zealand the past three years, as she signed up for the ASB Classic in Auckland – although she was a last-minute withdrawal ahead of her first match in January this year – while in 2022 she played at the Sydney International.

Draper will also make his debut at the United Cup as he played at the Adelaide International in 2023 and 2024 while he kicked off his 2025 campaign at the Australian Open.

“I am excited to get back on court and compete in the United Cup. I’ll be looking out for the draw to see if Team GB will play in Perth or Sydney,” Draper said. “I haven’t been to either so it will be nice to compete in a brand new city in Australia.”

Both Raducanu and Draper were forced to end their seasons early as the latter has been out of action since September as he brought the curtain down on his campaign after the US Open due to an arm injury.

Raducanu, meanwhile, played four events on the Asia swing but then withdrew from her final two tournaments of the year due to health reasons.

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The 2026 United Cup will be the fourth edition of the tournament that features mixed-gender teams from 18 countries with the United States winning the inaugural campaign in 2023 and the 2025 tournament while Germany won in 2024.

The tournament consists of six groups with three countries and the teams phase each other in a round-robin format, featuring one men’s and one women’s singles amtch, and a mixed doubles match.

Teams are made up of six players – two ATP singles players, two WTA singles players, one ATP doubles player and one WTA doubles player.

Raducanu and Draper’s team-mates are still to be confirmed, but the Great Britain team were represented by Billie Harris, Jan Choinski, Katie Boulter, Lily Miyazaki, Charles Broom and Olivia Nicholls in 2025.

Team GB topped their group this year to reach the quarter-final, but then lost against Poland.

Other big-name players who have already signed up for the 2026 edition are Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz for Poland while Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint will represent hosts Australia.

The post Emma Raducanu’s first tournament of 2026 tennis season confirmed appeared first on Tennis365.

The WTA Finals is just days away, and there is plenty at stake for the ‘Elite 8’ in Riyadh — with big prize money and ranking points on offer at the year-end championships.

The respective groups for the 2025 WTA Finals have now been revealed, and all eight WTA stars in action enter their final tournament of the season with a clean slate, with any ranking points from the 2024 Finals already dropped.

Here, we look at what ranking points the tournament’s biggest names dropped from 2024 ahead of the start of this year’s action in Riyadh.

How do ranking points work at the WTA Finals?

While each player will earn prize money for having qualified for the year-end championships, ranking points are not handed out solely for qualifying.

Every player in action will have to win at least one match to earn any points, with 200 ranking points on offer for a round-robin win in Riyadh.

A further 400 ranking points are then on offer for the two players who triumph at the semi-final stage, before a further 500 points are awarded to whoever wins the final and lifts the title.

An unbeaten champion will earn themselves 1,500 points.

Group Steffi Graf

1) Aryna Sabalenka: World No 1 Sabalenka won two round-robin matches in 2024 before tasting defeat in the semi-final, meaning she has dropped 400 points from last year.

3) Coco Gauff: After winning two group stage matches in 2024, Gauff went on to beat Sabalenka in the semi-final and Zheng Qinwen in the final, meaning she has already dropped a staggering 1,300 points. However, she remains as the world No 3.

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5) Jessica Pegula: Beaten in two round-robin matches before withdrawing due to injury in 2024, Pegula has dropped zero points from the 2024 finals heading into action this year.

8) Jasmine Paolini: Picking up one round-robin win over Elena Rybakina in her tournament debut twelve months ago, eighth seed Paolini dropped 200 points from last year’s WTA Finals.

Group Serena Williams

2) Iga Swiatek: Despite failing to reach the knockout stages in 2024, Swiatek still picked up two round-robin wins, meaning she has dropped 400 ranking points from last year’s event heading into her fifth WTA Finals appearance in 2025.

4) Amanda Anisimova: Having qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time, world No 4 Anisimova had no points to drop coming into the tournament, and could battle it out with Gauff for the US No 1 ranking in Riyadh.

6) Elena Rybakina: Rybakina triumphed in one of her three round-robin matches in 2024, meaning the Kazakh dropped 200 points from last year’s Finals before her third appearance in 2025.

7) Madison Keys: Nine years on from her previous WTA Finals appearance, Keys is back at the year-end championships in 2025. Having not qualified last year, the Australian Open champion naturally dropped zero Finals points before this year’s event.

Who else has dropped points from the 2024 WTA Finals?

Having starred at the 2024 WTA Finals before failing to qualify in 2025, both Zheng Qinwen and Barbora Krejcikova — who have been affected by injuries this season — have been significantly affected by the ranking point removal.

Reaching the final in 2024 after two round-robin wins, Qinwen has dropped 800 points from the 2024 WTA Finals, seeing her fall 11 places to world No 24 in the WTA Rankings.

After two round-robin wins at the WTA Finals last November, Krejcikova has dropped 400 points, and has fallen 28 spots to 64th in the world.

Read Next: WTA Finals groups assessed: Aryna Sabalenka against counter-punchers and Iga Swiatek against big hitters

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The race to the ATP Finals has reached boiling point at the Paris Masters, with action at the final Masters 1000 event of the year set to prove key in who does and does not qualify.

Four spots at the year-end championships in Turin are still available, with a handful of men still battling to seal their spot at one of the most prestigious events on the ATP calendar.

Here, with the opening stages of the Paris Masters underway, we look at how the Race to Turin is shaping up.

Who has qualified?

Heading into Paris, only four men had officially sealed their spot at the ATP Finals.

Leading the Race to Turin is world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, and the Spaniard will hold on to his sizeable lead despite his early Paris Masters exit.

Jannik Sinner has also comfortably qualified, with the Italian looking to successfully defend the ATP Finals title he won in 2024.

Novak Djokovic was the third man to qualify for the year-end championships, with Alexander Zverev becoming the fourth man to qualify in Vienna last week.

Zverev has now moved above Djokovic to occupy the third spot in the race.

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Who else is in contention?

Closing in on their place at the ATP Finals are American duo Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, who sit in fifth and sixth in the race, respectively.

Fritz was the runner-up to Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin last year, while Shelton is looking to qualify for the first time.

Both men started their Paris Masters campaigns with victory on Tuesday night and could have sealed qualification on Wednesday, had Felix Auger-Aliassime fallen to Alexandre Muller.

However, both are still well-placed to qualify and have their fates in their own hands ahead of their return to court on Thursday.

Also battling are seventh-placed Alex de Minaur and eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who hold a cushion over ninth-placed Auger-Aliassime as things stand.

However, de Minaur and Musetti are starting their campaigns on Wednesday, and a defeat for either would open up Auger-Aliassime’s pathway to overtake them.

The Canadian battled past Muller in a three-set thriller early on Wednesday afternoon and has the advantage of an open draw in Paris, with his next two projected opponents on paper — eighth seed Casper Ruud and top seed Alcaraz — already out.

Ruud was also in the chasing pack for an ATP Finals place this week, though his second-round defeat to Daniel Altmaier on Wednesday means that he is now out of contention.

It is possible that the player in ninth place could qualify for the Finals, with doubts over Djokovic’s participation in the year-end championships.

It looks likely that Auger-Aliassime could occupy that ninth spot, though the likes of Daniil Medvedev could challenge with a run to the title.

ATP Rankings Race to Turin (as of October 29, 2025)

1) Carlos Alcaraz, 11,050 – Q (Out of Paris Masters)
2) Jannik Sinner, 9,100 – Q (Paris Masters R16)
3) Alexander Zverev, 4,660 – Q (Paris Masters R16)
4) Novak Djokovic, 4,580 – Q (Not in Paris action)
5) Taylor Fritz, 3,935 (Paris Masters R16)
6) Ben Shelton, 3,870 (Paris Masters R16)
7) Alex de Minaur, 3,745 (Paris Masters R32)
8) Lorenzo Musetti, 3,685 (Paris Masters R32)
Provisional cutoff
9) Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3,295 (Paris Masters R16)
10) Jack Draper, 2,990 (Absent, out of contention)
11) Casper Ruud, 2,835 (Beaten in R32, out of contention)
12) Daniil Medvedev, 2,660 (Paris Masters R16)
13) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 2,635 (Paris Masters R16)

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Jannik Sinner previously said a return to world No 1 in 2025 was “impossible” before Carlos Alcaraz’s early Paris Masters exit boosted the Italian’s chances of returning to the top of the ATP Rankings.

Alcaraz replaced Sinner as the world No 1 after defeating the Italian in the US Open final in September, and is in pole position to seal the year-end No 1 ranking for 2025.

However, the Spaniard’s chances of sealing his first year-end No 1 finish since 2022 have been dented after a shock early exit in Paris, with the 22-year-old stunned in three sets by Cameron Norrie.

Defeat to Norrie snapped Alcaraz’s 17-match winning streak at Masters 1000 tournaments and also means that, while he is still in a strong position to finish 2025 as the world No 1, he could lose top spot to Sinner this week.

Alcaraz holds 11,250 points in the ATP Live Rankings, with Sinner currently on 10,510 points ahead of the start of his campaign on Wednesday.

However, with the Italian defending no points in Paris this week, a run to the title would place him on 11,500 points, enough to replace his rival as the world No 1.

Sinner would then have 1,500 points to defend at the ATP Finals as the defending champion, with Alcaraz only defending 200 points in Turin — swinging momentum back in the Spaniard’s favour.

However, Sinner now has more than a fighting chance to return to world No 1 in 2025 and potentially finish the season on top, something that he thought was not a possibility heading into this week.

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Speaking in his pre-tournament press conference — held before Alcaraz’s defeat — the four-time Grand Slam champion was asked about the opportunity to return to world No 1 by the end of 2025.

He replied: “No, it’s impossible. Honestly, I’m not thinking about this at the moment. It’s going to be a goal for next year. This year it’s not in my hands. Let’s say it like this.

“But considering how the whole year went, you know, we have achieved some incredible things. Now I just want to finish the season the best possible way. If I can do something great, amazing. If not, I did something great already this year.

“I will try, for me as also last year was, December is going to be a very important month for me, because I feel like we can make a lot of changes and a lot of work there. Also getting ready for the next season and the beginning of the season, I know how important it is for me for many scenarios.

“So let’s see what I can achieve and do there, but I’m relaxed. You know, I’m very happy what I did this year, and then we see what’s coming. And that’s it.”

World No 2 Sinner begins his Paris Masters campaign on Wednesday against world No 41 Zizou Bergs, who defeated Alex Michelsen in the opening round.

Sinner had received a bye into the second round and will take to court for the first time since lifting the Vienna Open title, beating Alexander Zverev last Sunday to claim his fourth title of the year.

The reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion could again face third seed Zverev, the reigning Paris Masters champion, in the last four this week.

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