Tennis, Paris Masters 2025: Alexander Zverev looks to defend title; Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner compete in ATP Masters 1000 season finale

The ATP Masters 1000 series concludes with the 2025 Paris Masters (27 October-2 November).

Tennis’ top stars return to the French capital four months from the conclusion of Roland-Garros, this time descending on the Paris La Défense Arena for the first time in the tournament’s history.

With four competition courts, including a 16,500-capacity centre court, the Naterre stadium was the site of Léon Marchand’s swimming heroics and the water polo knockout stages at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

This time, another Olympic champion will take to the floor: Tokyo 2020 singles gold medallist and defending Paris Masters champion Alexander Zverev, aiming for his eighth Masters 1000 title and a first of the 2025 season.

The most recent Olympic champion, Novak Djokovic, will not play in Paris; he said on social media, “I have amazing memories and great success over the years, especially being able to conquer the title 7 times. Hope to see you next year. Merci.”

Who will prevail in Paris and take the final ATP Masters 1000 crown of the campaign? Here is what you need to know.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the race for year-end World No. 1 - who is in line to take top spot?

2025 Paris Masters – Alcaraz and Sinner’s year-end no. 1 battle, race to the ATP Finals reaches conclusion

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are competing at the Paris Masters, a tournament which will influence who ends the year as the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

Current No. 1 Alcaraz has 100 points to defend from last year, while Sinner has zero after missing the 2024 edition with injury. The Italian’s participation at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria, could trim the deficit to 840 points going into Paris, where the pressure is on to be flawless if he wants to retain his top spot.

Alcaraz and Sinner missed out on the previous Masters title in the People’s Republic of China, each man impacted by injury and eager to bounce back in France.

Following their own fairytale final in Shanghai, cousins Arthur Rinderknech of France and Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot are among four wildcards in Paris. Vacherot, now at a career high ranking of No. 39, went from qualifying to the title as he became the sixth different man to win an ATP Masters 1000 title this season.

The year-end No. 1 race is not the only score to settle: five spots remain up for grabs for the year-end ATP Finals in Italy, which begins on 9 November. Djokovic joined Alcaraz and Sinner in the lineup last week, qualifying for a record 18th time.

World No. 3 Zverev is on the verge of qualification and could even do so in Vienna, while USA duo Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are closing in on Turin. The race behind is tantalising, with only around 500 points separating Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and Félix Auger-Aliassime.

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