Straightforward for Alcaraz, tough for Sinner: what you need to know about the Rolex Paris Masters draw – updated

The draw for the Rolex Paris Masters, the last Masters 1000 of the season, has been made. Jannik Sinner, the top seed, finds himself on the same side of the draw as Alexander Zverev. Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) is alongside Daniil Medvedev. It is the Italian who will have to watch out very quickly, with big tests scheduled in each round.

Sinner’s path

A recent title winner in Shanghai (and at the Six Kings Slam), Jannik Sinner arrives in Paris full of confidence and will fancy his chances of going deep as he looks to finish his year on a high. He withdrew before his third-round match in 2023.

• First round: Bye
• Second round: Shelton or Auger-Aliassime
• Round of 16: Rune (13) or Arnaldi
• Quarter-finals: Fritz (5) or De Minaur (9)
• Semi-finals: Zverev (3) or Rublev (6)
• Final: Alcaraz (2) or Medvedev (4)

Alcaraz’s path

Eliminated in the second round last year by Roman Safiullin, Alcaraz has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters (2022). The Spaniard is in good form after winning the title in Beijing, and will hope to hit top form again at Bercy.

• First round: Bye
• Second round: Jarry or qualifier
• Round of 16: Humbert (15) or Nakashima
• Quarter-finals: Ruud (7) or Paul (11)
• Semi-finals: Medvedev (4) or Dimitrov (8)
• Final: Sinner (1) or Zverev (3)

The best first-round matches

Ben Shelton – Felix Auger-Aliassime: A clash of hitters in the first round! The American made the final in Basel while Auger-Aliassime is a former semi-finalist in Paris (2021). This promises to be a popcorn match.

Jack Draper – Jiri Lehecka: These two have only played once before – and the Czech defeated him in the Adelaide final earlier this year. Draper is looking on great form, though, having won the title in Vienna at the weekend, climbing to a career-high ranking of No 15 as a result.

Later in the draw

Jannik Sinner – Holger Rune: If he avoids the Shelton or Auger-Aliassime trap, the world No 1 could cross paths with Holger Rune, winner of the tournament in 2022, which would be another big test for the Italian.

Carlos Alcaraz – Ugo Humbert: If all goes to plan, the Spaniard and the Frenchman could meet again, as they did at Wimbledon and in this year’s Davis Cup. Alcaraz leads 2-0 in their meetings.

Stefanos Tsitsipas – Andrey Rublev: This would be their first meeting for two years after 11 encounters in five years between 2018 and 2022. Neither is in top form, but seeing them go head-to-head is always a thrill.