Rolex Paris Masters: Sinner back on top

Unstoppable

For its 40th edition, the Parisian tournament inaugurated a new venue and found itself a new champion. Until now, at Bercy, Jannik Sinner had only one win to his name before withdrawing in both 2023 (after his victory over Mackenzie McDonald) and 2024. An anomaly – given the ease, success and track record of the four-time Grand Slam champion on indoor hard courts – that is now a thing of the past. As he has done almost everywhere else, the Sinner storm swept through everything in its path on the second-largest centre court in the world. To secure the 23rd title of his career (his fifth Masters 1000), the Italian strung together five victories without dropping a set, the first player to do so at this level since Carlos Alcaraz triumphed in Indian Wells in 2023. All week long, Sinner tightened his grip, locked down rallies, and suffocated his opponents, sprinkling in the occasional masterclass he only can deliver.

Crowned in Vienna just a day before arriving in the French capital, he maintained his rhythm even if not quite at full strength early on. His body language against Francisco Cerundolo and during the opening games of his quarter-final against Ben Shelton raised fears of another withdrawal after Shanghai two weeks earlier. But fatigue, pain, or opponent mattered little. In the end, it’s always Sinner who wins. And this is obviously even more true when “Carlitos” suffered a shocking early exit (to Cameron Norrie in Paris). "Throughout this tournament, we went day by day with my team, trying to understand what my body and mind needed," Sinner explained in his post-final press conference. "Vienna was huge, that final was really tough, and we came here trying to understand the situation of the court, and then everything. Some days felt very good, some days you have to push through."

In the semi-finals, Darren Cahill’s protégé dismantled defending champion Alexander Zverev - who was also struggling physically - before delivering another clinical display in the final against Félix Auger-Aliassime. After an early break, the Italian imposed his usual relentless pace to take the first set. The second was tighter, both men holding serve until the tie-break, during which Sinner took advantage of two mistakes by his opponent to put an end to the suspense and the Canadian's hopes once and for all. Currently enjoying one of the best periods of his career, FAA explained during the week that he has improved in all aspects of his game and is undeniably closing in on the level of the two boss of the Tour. "The gap isn’t huge. I feel I’m getting closer to Jannik every time we play," he reflected on Sunday. "It was a tight match, and even at the US Open I took a set and the first and fourth were close. Today, he made the difference with the quality of his serve and return. It was a good match, even if I’m a bit frustrated about a few key moments."

His excellent week and strong showing in the final back up that assessment, but he still lacked that extra spark (the daring and precision in the key moments) to truly turn the tide. With 91% of points won behind his first serve, Sinner left little room for miracles. When the score tightened at 4-5 or in the tie-break, he pressed his opponent into unforced errors to firmly wrap his hands around the Arbre de Fanti, securing his 26th consecutive win on indoor hard courts. "Unstoppable", the subtitle above was not so much an exaggeration.

World No.1, at least until Turin

Beyond adding another beautiful trophy to his collection, this victory allows the Italian to reclaim his throne. A scenario that seemed almost impossible after the US Open, when Alcaraz’s lead looked insurmountable. But with the Spaniard’s withdrawal in Shanghai, his absence from Vienna or Basel, and his early loss in Paris, the cards have been reshuffled. This new swap of positions could still be short-lived, as the Roland-Garros champion controls his own destiny heading into the ATP Finals in Turin. Alcaraz has just 200 points to defend, while Sinner must protect the 1,500 he earned by winning the event last year. Currently, the Italian sits at 11,500 points to Alcaraz’s 11,250 (with Zverev third at 5,560...).

"It's not only in my hands, but of course I’m happy," Sinner said Sunday. "I knew there was a chance to be back at No.1 after this week, but as I always say, before every final, every tournament or every match, I just try to play my best tennis and see where it gets me. I’ll do the same in Turin, focus on my performance and we’ll see what happens. I’m very happy with my week, now we recharge and hopefully be as ready as possible then for Turin"

As for the Rolex Paris Masters runner-up, he could also be involved in the year-end showdown. Thanks to his excellent run, FAA is currently in the final qualifying spot. However, having opted to skip the ATP 250 in Metz to rest and avoid injury, he leaves the door slightly open for Lorenzo Musetti, who is competing in Athens this week. To be continued…