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Alexander Zverev was in no mood for a French fairytale on Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters. The 27-year-old had his own story to write.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings produced a near-flawless performance to defeat home hope Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 in the championship match and claim his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title. Zverev was relentless in every department, but particularly behind his own serve, from which he dropped just five points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I knew I had to play like this to win today,” said Zverev, who improved to 23-13 in tour-level finals. “Ugo is an incredible player, but here in Paris, he plays even better than he usually does and I knew that. Once the crowd gets involved, it’s going to be difficult. So, I had to take that away early, and I did, so I’m happy about that.

“It was not 100 per cent guaranteed that I would be back at this level after Roland Garros two years ago, when I basically broke everything possible in my ankle. So, to win this title here in Paris means the world to me, and I’m sure it means everything to those in my box, because they have done so much for me.”

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It’s 7⃣th Masters 1000 crown for @AlexZverev as he defeats Humbert 6-2 6-2!#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/wkd5tYKFFj

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic are finishing with a flourish in their final season together. The sixth seeds rallied on Sunday to take home their fifth ATP Tour title of 2024 at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Koolhof and Mektic came alive in their first Match Tie-break of the week to defeat Lloyd Glasspool and Adam Pavlasek 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 in the championship match. With their Tour-leading fifth triumph of the season, the Dutch/Croatian duo rose to third in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

“It’s very special. To win three Masters in a year is an unbelievable achievement from both of us,” said Koolhof, who is retiring at the end of the season. “We hit a rough patch in the middle of the season but, before Shanghai, we knew what was at stake to make Turin.”

Title No. 5⃣ in 2024 ?@wesleykoolhof & @NMektic claim the trophy in Paris!#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/FIPEISeEiu

Having won the Nitto ATP Finals together in 2020, Koolhof and Mektic will return to Turin with their sights set on more glory at the season-ending finale.

The grind never stops for Alexander Zverev.

After securing a comprehensive semi-final victory over former champion Holger Rune at the Rolex Paris Masters Saturday, Zverev headed to the practice court, looking for incremental improvement that he hopes will allow him to challenge the duopoly at the top of the men's game.

“For me, it's about improving a few things. I feel like Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] are doing a few things better than me at the moment. I want to improve,” said Zverev.

“I want to improve not for tomorrow, not for today, or because of the matches I played here. I want to generally improve for next year as well.”

With his win over Rune, Zverev notched his 65th win of the year and tied Sinner for the most wins on Tour this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He also overtook Alcaraz and climbed to the No. 2 spot in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The German believes they are still at a higher level and that he needs to work hard to catch up.

Ugo Humbert is an ATP Masters 1000 finalist. The French star moved past Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 on home soil at the Rolex Paris Masters on Saturday to advance to his maiden final at Masters 1000 level.

The 26-year-old played explosive tennis in front of an electric crowd in Paris and capitalised on Khachanov’s physical limitations in the closing stages of the third set to become the fifth Frenchman to reach the title match at the indoor hard event.

"It is amazing to do it in Paris at my favourite tournament. It is a dream," Humbert said. "It was a little bit difficult compared to the previous matches. I felt a little more pressure and after the loss of the first set I tried to enjoy the moment and be with the crowd. I did very well and I am super proud."

There’s no place like home ??@HumbertUgo is through to his FIRST-EVER Masters 1000 final! #RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/vKGJDD1Rn8

Humbert crushed the ball off both wings and soaked in the roars from the crowd to earn his 13th consecutive win on indoor hard courts in France. The 15th seed won the title in Metz last year and then triumphed indoors in Marseille in February.

Alexander Zverev reached his first hard-court final of the season on Saturday at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he overcame former champion Holger Rune to end the Dane’s faint Nitto ATP Finals hopes.

The German recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, resisting a late fightback from Rune to eventually earn a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory after one hour and 47 minutes.

With his 65th win of the season, Zverev drew level with Jannik Sinner for the most victories on Tour in 2024, while he has climbed one spot to No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, passing Carlos Alcaraz.

"I feel like I made it a little difficult for myself but he is a champion. It is probably his favourite tournament and favourite court, but I am happy to be in my second final here," Zverev said. "I am looking forward to it."

No stopping the Zverev Express ?@AlexZverev advances into his 12th ATP Masters 1000 FINAL!!! #RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/luYjPH9F3m

The final week of the regular ATP Tour season is here, with ATP 250 events at the Belgrade Open and the Moselle Open.

Chasing precious points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Alex de Minaur leads the field in Belgrade, where Stan Wawrinka also competes. In Metz, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud will aim to seal their spots at the Nitto ATP Finals.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch ahead of the two indoor hard events.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN METZ
1) Ruud chasing Turin: Casper Ruud arrives in Metz seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Norwegian, who is on 3,855 points, is aiming to make his third appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November. The 25-year-old will try to break a three-match losing streak when he takes on Roberto Bautista Agut or a qualifier in his first match.

2) Rublev aiming to join Ruud in Italy: Andrey Rublev is the top seed in Metz and is two spots behind Ruud in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The 27-year-old is on 3,720 points, trailing Ruud by 135 points, with eighth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,745 points) in between. Rublev is chasing his third title of the year in the north east of France.   

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic moved to within one win of capturing their third ATP Masters 1000 title of the season together on Saturday, when they defeated Neal Skupski and Michael Venus at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The sixth seeds did not face a break point and won 93 per cent (25/27) of their first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats en route to a 6-2, 6-4 triumph.

Koolhof and Mektic have won four trophies in 2024 including Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Shanghai and will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November.

The Dutch-Croatian team will play US Open champs Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson or Lloyd Glasspool and Adam Pavlasek in the final on Sunday.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

The world’s best players are set to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next week with Jannik Sinner chasing his first crown at the prestigious season finale.

When is the Nitto ATP Finals?
The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals will be held from 10-17 November. The indoor hard-court event, established in 1970, will take place at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. The tournament director is Adam Hogg.

What is the format & who is playing at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals?
The event in Turin will see eight players divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz will compete. The final three places will be determined in coming days.

When is the draw for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals?
The Turin draw will be made on Thursday 7 November at 12:00 p.m.

What is the schedule for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals?
* Main Draw Round-Robin Matches: Sunday 10 November – Friday 15 November. Afternoon session starts at 11:30 a.m. (doubles), 2:00 p.m. (singles). Evening session 6:00 p.m (doubles), not before 8:30 p.m. (singles).
* Semi-finals: Saturday 16 November. Afternoon session starts at 12:00 p.m. (doubles), 2:30 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:00 p.m. (doubles), not before 8:30 p.m. (singles).
* Final: Sunday 17 November. Doubles final at 3:00 p.m. and singles final at 6:00 p.m.

Karen Khachanov snapped a four-match losing streak against Grigor Dimitrov to charge into the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals Friday night as he eliminated the Bulgarian from Nitto ATP Finals contention with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win.

Dimitrov needed to beat Khachanov and then advance to the final to pass eighth-placed Alex De Minaur in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin and move inside the cut for the season finale, which he won on debut in 2017.

In a battle between this year’s leading indoor match wins leaders, Dimitrov lacked his usual spark after a draining third-set tie-break win over Arthur Rinderknech the night before. In contrast, an energized Khachanov continued his sizzling form, claiming his 12th win in his past 13 matches.

“I started sharp from the baseline and tried to put pressure from the beginning,” Khachanov said. “I was able to break him in the first game and take the lead and after that I noticed that he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent. But he wanted to play and I respect that. Credit to him for that.”

Asked to explain the hot streak that has taken him to the Almaty title, the Vienna final and now to his fifth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, Khachanov said, “I try not to think about it, to be honest. When you are felling the rhythm, feeling the momentum you just want to continue enjoying the moment and continue playing the same way, with just a slight change of tactics for a different opponent. But playing with the same belief, enthusiasm and enjoyment.”

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic continued the quest for their fifth title of the season and third at ATP Masters 1000 level together on Friday at the Rolex Paris Masters where they defeated third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 7-6(13), 7-5.

The sixth seeds saved four set points in an epic opening set before they fended off all five break points they faced in the second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a one-hour, 47-minute quarter-final triumph.

Koolhof and Mektic have won Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Shanghai this year and will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November. The Dutch-Croatian team will play Neal Skupski and Michael Venus in the semi-finals in Paris.

The British-New-Zealand pair defeated Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway 6-4, 6-2 in 63 minutes. Skupski and Venus reached the final in Vienna last week and beat top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in straight sets in Paris.

Lloyd Glasspool and Adam Pavlasek were also winners on Friday. They downed Frenchmen Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 7-6(5), 6-4. Glasspool and Pavlasek will next take on US Open titlists Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, who avenged their heartbreaking Wimbledon final loss to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 6-7(3), 6-1, 12-10.

Former Rolex Paris Masters champion Holger Rune kept alive his slim hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday when he overcame Alex de Minaur in a dramatic quarter-final in the French capital.

In a baseline battle in Paris, Rune outlasted De Minaur down the home stretch to earn a dramatic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory. The Dane locked in during the extended exchanges and recovered from squandering a break advantage in the third set to reach his fifth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

"He was putting so much up against me. He was making every ball with quality, deep in the court and the court is quite fast here," Rune said. "I had to adjust my game a little bit and it was a constant battle but how I treated the last couple of games was very good. I went for it, I got it and I am very happy."

HOLGER ❤️ PARIS.

2022 champion @holgerrune2003 is through to his 5th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final!#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/xWeNuMM7OU

The 21-year-old beat Novak Djokovic to win his maiden Masters 1000 crown in Paris in 2022 and is 12-1 at the indoor hard event. Rune is 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin on 3,025 points and can still qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Eighth-placed De Minaur (3,745 points) currently occupies the final Nitto ATP Finals qualification spot and is aiming to make his debut in Turin.

Alexander Zverev became just the third active player to reach 20 ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals on Friday at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas to end the Greek’s Nitto ATP Finals hopes.

In the latest meeting of his long-running rivalry with Tsitsipas, Zverev saved the one break point he faced and hit with aggression and purpose in the fast indoor conditions to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win after one hour and 44 minutes in the French capital.

"I thought the whole match was a very good level from him," Zverev said. "He started off hot, had some good chances to break me in the beginning. Maybe not break point wise but game wise. I got into the match and I found my rhythm and felt more and more comfortable and am happy with the win."

Zverev, who joins Novak Djokovic (78) and Rafael Nadal (76) as a 20-time Masters 1000 semi-finalist, also became the first player born in the 1990s to earn 100 Top 20 wins (100-101). The 28-year-old Daniil Medvedev, born in 1996, is second, holding a 99-73 record.

Milestone Sascha ? 2⃣0⃣ ?@AlexZverev becomes the 8th player to reach 20 ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in series history, defeating Tsitsipas 7-5 6-4! #RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/IR2V4r2Dk7

Practicing court awareness is crucial in tennis because it helps you make smarter shot choices and optimize your positioning. Here's how to build that awareness: 1. Know Your Position on the CourtAfter each shot, aim to return to a neutral position based on where you hit the ball and where your opponent is likely to respond. If you hit a cross-cour...

A four-time champion at Spanish ATP Tour events, Carlos Alcaraz knows all about raising his level for a home crowd. On Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters, the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings recognised he may have been on the receiving end of that trend from Ugo Humbert.

“I think I could play better. I think that's obvious. But with the level that I had today, I think I compete, I gave everything,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference after his three-set defeat to the inspired Frenchman in Paris. “I fought until the last point. I have to congratulate Ugo. I think his performance has been really high. The way he hits the ball is unbelievable. It's amazing.

“I think every time that he plays against me, I feel like he increases his level. He plays a really high level of tennis. I think in Paris even more so. So congratulations to him, and good luck.”

Alcaraz acknowledged that, although he generally does not favour fast conditions like those at Paris-Bercy this year, they don’t mean much without an opponent who can exploit them. Humbert produced a performance packed with clean, flat hitting that had the World No. 2 struggling from the first game.

“[It is difficult] when I play against someone like Ugo that doesn't let you get rhythm into the match,” said Alcaraz, who will next compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. “He plays probably every time at his 100 per cent, really flat. So I couldn't play a good tennis.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on 12 April 2024. At the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters, Frenchman Ugo Humbert thrilled his home crowd with a memorable upset win against Carlos Alcaraz. 

The top of the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin is littered with the sport’s biggest stars. Of the eight players currently holding a qualification position for the Nitto ATP Finals, seven have competed in the season finale and the other, fifth-placed Alex de Minaur, is in the world’s Top 10.

The player in ninth place is Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finalist Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman, very much in contention for a spot in Turin, has quietly been playing the best tennis of his career and is even ahead of 12th-placed Novak Djokovic in the Live Race.

“I saw that and it was really, really funny. At the end of Dubai, my coach said ‘It's funny, you are seventh in the race and Djokovic is eighth’. I was proud!” Humbert told ATPTour.com. “For me it's more and more exciting because my goal is that I would like to reach the Top 10. So I am trying to find the details to achieve this goal.”

So far this season Humbert has won titles in Marseille and Dubai. The lefty’s record is 18-5 and he has only lost two matches in straight sets.

Could Stefanos Tsitsipas’ hard-fought win on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters prove pivotal in his quest to qualify for his sixth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals?

The 10th seed dug deep for a 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Francisco Cerundolo to advance to his fourth quarter-final in Paris. With the victory, Tsitsipas climbed to 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but he will need a run to the final to stay in contention.

The former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings crossed the line with conviction to progress in two hours, 21 minutes. It was Tsitsipas' second Lexus ATP Head2Head win over Cerundolo in as many weeks after he defeated the Argentine in their first-round clash in Basel.

Doing it the hard way ?@steftsitsipas rallies from a set down to defeat Cerundolo 6-7(1) 6-4 6-2 and reach the quarter-final in Paris for the fourth time!#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/HguSKLhMQF

Cerundolo, who recorded his 100th tour-level win on Tuesday, failed to convert all three of the break points he created in the opening set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. However, he produced a steely tie-break to move in front.

An inspired Ugo Humbert rode a raucous atmosphere and inspired shotmaking to a stunning third-round upset of Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The home favourite prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in a richly entertaining encounter to book a quarter-final spot at his home ATP Masters 1000. Humbert won the first five games of the match in a blistering start on Court Central, before his resolve was tested as Alcaraz grew into the occasion. Yet the Spaniard could not deny Humbert at the tail end of a tense deciding set, when the home favourite rediscovered his shotmaking touch in time to clinch his win.

“I’m just super proud of myself that I did it,” said Humbert. “It was a crazy match, a crazy atmosphere. Maybe my last in Bercy [before the tournament moves to a new venue from next year], so I tried to do everything tonight. It was a really big match.”

ALL HEART FROM UGO HUMBERT!!! ❤️??#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/lrE4ZOofmx

Humbert’s two-hour, 17-minute win was the joint-biggest of his career by PIF ATP Ranking, equalling his victory against then-No. 2 Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 ATP Cup. The lefty, who is chasing his third ATP Tour title of the season this week after his victories in Marseille and Dubai, is the first Frenchman to earn a Top 3 win at Paris-Bercy since 2010, when Gael Monfils defeated No. 2 Roger Federer and Michael Llodra ousted No. 3 Novak Djokovic.

Alex de Minaur’s late charge to qualify for his maiden appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals is picking up serious pace at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The ninth seed rallied to defeat Jack Draper 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday, snapping the Briton’s seven-match winning streak. With the triumph, De Minaur climbed inside the qualification spots in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, passing Andrey Rublev to eighth.

“You can never say ‘job done’ in the middle of a tournament, that’s not in my DNA,” De Minaur said, when asked about the Live Race. “Obviously I’m super stoked with the win today, but I will keep on doing my best and keep on trying to win more matches.

“It took every ounce from me and I am just happy I was able to rally. I’m going to put my body on the line, try my hardest, show my opponent that I can do that all day. I needed to bring that intensity because Jack is a hell of a competitor, playing with so much confidence right now.”

Now that's dead-ication ??@alexdeminaur equals his personal-best 47th win of the season! #RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters pic.twitter.com/mVDWpDwmnH

Alexander Zverev ended the run of French star Arthur Fils in front of an electric crowd at the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday afternoon.

Backed by raucous home support on Court Central, Fils produced an intense performance and troubled the German with his dynamic game in an epic clash. However, with the pressure on, the 20-year-old ran out of steam in the decider, with World No. 3 Zverev earning a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 third-round victory in the French capital.

"I am happy I hung in there today. It was a great match," Zverev said after improving to 3-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Fils. "He is a great player and has improved a lot this year. I am looking forward to the next few battles we are going to have."

Zverev fired 16 aces and crucially saved three break points when serving for the match at 5-3. The German, who gained the decisive break of the third set in the fourth game, raised his arms aloft after sealing victory, silencing Fils and the French crowd in the process.

"The atmosphere here is a lot louder than at Roland Garros. It is crazy," Zverev said. "It feels the court is smaller and the crowd is on top of you. It is like an indoor atmosphere as well. It is something we don't get a lot on Tour but I love it. I love to play in Paris. It is one of my favourite cities in the world to play because of the crowd. They are very energetic and very loud."