Paris Masters 2026: New No. 1 Zverev, Alcaraz Lead Field as Sinner Misses Title Defence

The Rolex Paris Masters, the last ATP Masters 1000 event of the 2026 season, gets under way at Paris La Defense Arena this weekend with qualifying on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. The main draw starts on Monday 2 November and the singles final is on Sunday 8 November. Defending champion Jannik Sinner will not be there. Alexander Zverev arrives as the man about to become world No. 1, and Carlos Alcaraz is the main threat to him.

Zverev arrives as the new world No. 1

Zverev made sure of the top ranking on Thursday 29 October in Vienna, beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 at the Erste Bank Open. The change takes effect when the new ATP rankings come out on Monday 2 November. According to Tennis Majors, the 29-year-old German becomes the 30th man to hold the No. 1 ranking and the second-oldest to reach it for the first time. He told reporters it was "something I've worked towards for years."

He then thrashed an injured Arthur Fery 6-0, 6-2 in 58 minutes on Friday to reach his third Vienna semi-final. Zverev won the Paris title in 2024. In his first match this year he plays either Lorenzo Musetti, who won in Lyon last week, or Hubert Hurkacz.

Sinner's absence reshapes the draw

Sinner beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(4) in last year's Paris final. On 6 October his team announced that his 2026 season was over because he needed treatment for knee inflammation. That rules him out of Paris and of the ATP Finals in Turin (15-22 November), where he has won the last two titles. He still finishes the year with six titles, the most on the ATP Tour in 2026.

Without Sinner, Zverev is the top seed, Alcaraz second, Ben Shelton third and Alex de Minaur eighth. Alcaraz missed more than four months this season with a wrist injury and returned at the US Open. He then won the Tokyo title, beating Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final. His first match in Paris is against Lehecka or Alex Michelsen. The ATP preview has Arthur Fils as a possible quarter-final opponent and Daniil Medvedev or Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals.

Shelton, who reached his first major final at the US Open, opens against Cameron Norrie or Matteo Arnaldi. He is seeded to meet Zverev in the semi-finals.

Djokovic and the race to Turin

Novak Djokovic has won Paris seven times and has a 50-9 match record at the event. He opens against Valentin Vacherot, who beat him in their only previous meeting, the Shanghai Masters final in 2025. Djokovic is 11th in the Live Race to Turin, so he needs a strong week. The ATP draw puts him on course for a possible quarter-final against Zverev.

Paris decides several of the last places in Turin. Sinner's withdrawal means ninth place in the race is now effectively the last qualifying spot, and Rafael Jodar holds it for now. He could meet Cobolli, sixth in the race, in the third round. Frances Tiafoe, eighth, is 605 points ahead of 13th-placed Tommy Paul, and the two could also meet in the third round. De Minaur is chasing a place as well.

Key dates in Malaysia time

France went back to standard time (UTC+1) on 25 October, so Paris is now seven hours behind Malaysia.

• Semi-finals, Saturday 7 November: first match at 2.30pm local time, which is 9.30pm MYT
• Singles final, Sunday 8 November: 3pm local time, which is 10pm MYT
• Gael Monfils tribute, Tuesday 3 November: during the evening session, with play starting no earlier than 7pm local time (2am MYT on Wednesday)

The total prize money is EUR 6,309,095. A wheelchair event runs from 6 to 8 November.

Key takeaways

• The main draw at Paris La Defense Arena runs from 2 to 8 November, with qualifying on 31 October and 1 November.
• Zverev becomes world No. 1 on 2 November and is the top seed, with Alcaraz seeded second.
• Defending champion Sinner is out for the rest of 2026 with knee inflammation.
• Djokovic, 11th in the Live Race, opens against Vacherot and needs a deep run to reach Turin.
• The singles final starts at 10pm Malaysia time on Sunday 8 November.

FAQ

Q: Why is Jannik Sinner not playing the Paris Masters? A: His team announced on 6 October that he was ending his 2026 season to have treatment on an inflamed knee. He will also miss the ATP Finals.

Q: When does Zverev officially become world No. 1? A: When the ATP rankings are published on Monday 2 November. He made sure of the top spot by beating Griekspoor in Vienna on 29 October.

Q: What time is the Paris Masters final in Malaysia? A: The singles final starts at 3pm Paris time on Sunday 8 November, which is 10pm in Malaysia (MYT, UTC+8).

Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, LTA, Sortiraparis