Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz is set to begin his campaign this Tuesday in Paris-Bercy, the ninth and final Masters 1000 event of the year, signaling the start of a decisive late-season push in 2023. The tournament in Paris marks a pivotal moment as the sport’s elite arrive in the French capital for crucial matches that will shape the closing stages of a remarkable season and set the stage for the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, soon after.
At the moment, the Murcian sits strong at world number two, arriving in Paris with the intention of finishing the year atop the rankings for a second consecutive season. He remains locked in a high-stakes duel with Novak Djokovic, the Serbian legend who has been a constant challenge in recent months. After taking a short break following the US Open, Alcaraz is back on court with renewed focus as he balances recovery with the need to accumulate more wins on indoor hard courts.
The goal for Alcaraz in Paris is straightforward: end the year on a high note and head to Turin in peak form, buoyed by a history of strong showings on this surface. He has faced physical setbacks in recent months, which have slightly slowed his progress, but his camp believes the recent conditioning work has restored much of his movement and intensity. The 2022 Paris Masters remains a high-water mark for him in the event, where a quarter-final setback against Danish contender Holger Rune served as a reminder of the unforgiving nature of big tournaments on this surface.
Since Wimbledon, Alcaraz has not added a Masters 1000 title to his resume, though he has remained highly competitive, reaching another final in a dramatic meeting with Djokovic in Cincinnati. The best performances in the latter part of the season include a runner-up finish at Cincinnati and semi-final appearances in New York and Beijing, illustrating a persistent edge even as he navigates a tighter schedule and tougher fields. His run at Shanghai ended in a quarter-final duel with Grigor Dimitrov, a match that showcased his tenacity and ability to contend with seasoned north-eastern swing players, even on challenging indoor layouts.
Having elected to withdraw from Basel, Switzerland, Alcaraz shifts his focus to Paris-Bercy where he will open against a formidable opponent, Roman Safiullin of Russia, now 45 years old but still capable of producing surprising upsets. The match is scheduled for the afternoon-evening window and is expected to be a test of his evolving game and stamina on the indoor court. Alcaraz has shown this year that he can adapt quickly, evident after a confident victory over Alexandre Muller with a 7-6, 6-3 scoreline earlier in the week, and he continues to train at a high level alongside Djokovic to sharpen his tactics and conditioning as he returns to competition after a minor setback.
If he clears the opener, the path becomes tougher with an expected clash against Daniil Medvedev or a potential third-round test against a rising Russian, and a possible fourth-round meeting with a strong clay-court specialist in the draw. The round of 16 could feature a clash against Karen Khachanov or a European challenger, while the quarterfinals may pit him against Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev. Set to provide stiff competition in the latter stages are perennial threats such as Medvedev, whose recent form has been a barometer of the wider tour’s depth. The potential semi-final scenario is shaping up as a classic showdown that could mirror the intensity of his recent battles with Novak Djokovic and other top contenders, underscoring the demanding nature of the Paris Masters as players brief themselves for the year’s closest contest to the ATP Finals.