Novak Djokovic is set to make his return to competitive tennis here at the upcoming Paris Masters as he tries to maintain his world No. 1 status in the ATP rankings.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner hasn’t played since he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final last month as he opted to skip the Asian Swing, which includes the Shanghai Masters.
Because he’s the winningest player in this particular tournament with six titles, the SBOTOP Paris Masters 2023 odds favour the Serb’s chances to win.
But Djokovic will face stiff competition along the way because he is to be joined by world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, although he is not in his best form recently, and Holger Rune, who is hoping to successfully defend his title and is No. 6 right now in the men’s division, among others.
Djokovic to do double duty in Paris
Not only will Djokovic play in singles, but he will also play doubles alongside fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in Paris.
Djokovic is not really a regular doubles player, which is why this Paris Masters 2023 news came as a surprise, but he already competed in several doubles events earlier this year, albeit not getting the results he usually expects.
He played in the Adelaide International at the start of the year, where he lost in the first round with Vasek Pospisil as his partner. A few months later, he also suffered another opening-round loss, with compatriot Nikola Cacic as his running mate.
Djokovic will also be highly motivated to win in doubles since he only has one such title under his belt thus far, which is the 2010 Queen’s Club Championship, where he teamed up with Jonathan Erlich.
The Serb is not the only high-profile player who will do double duty in Paris. Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev will join forces once again, while Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime will team up with Stan Wawrinka and Sebastian Korda, respectively.
Khachanov and Rublev already had success together this season, as they won the Madrid Open while finishing as runners-up at the 2019 edition of the Paris Masters.
As far as the singles tournament is concerned, Djokovic remains one of the favourites to win it all, given his track record. And for sure, he would like to avenge his final loss last year.
Rune warming up for Paris
The one who beat Djokovic last November is Holger Rune, who needed three sets to stun the current world No. 1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. At the time, Rune denied Djokovic a record-extending 39th Masters trophy.
During the final, it felt like Djokovic was about to cruise to his 91st career title when he took the opening set, but Rune held his nerve to come back for his third title of the season.
And then a few months later, Rune managed to beat Djokovic again in the Italian Open quarter-finals, with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. The young Danish international went as far as the final, only to lose to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.
But Holger Rune hasn’t been the same since then, as he only made the quarter-finals once in his next nine tournaments.
Right now, he is competing in the Swiss Indoors Basel Round of 16 after defeating Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. He is currently the top seed in the tournament, and he’ll face Argentinean Sebastian Baez next.
Alcaraz aims to bounce back after disappointing Asian Swing
Carlos Alcaraz missed out on his opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the ATP rankings after an up-and-down run in China.
He made it to the China Open semi-finals, only to lose to Jannik Sinner. But after that, he bowed out of the third round of the Shanghai Masters to Grigor Dimitrov.
And most recently, the young Spaniard has withdrawn from the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament due to back and foot issues, which is a blow to his hopes of gaining ground on Novak Djokovic.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to play in Basel this year,” wrote Alcaraz on social media. “I have a problem with the plantar fascia in my left foot and muscle fatigue in my lower back, which need treatment so I can play the rest of the season.”
Alcaraz has yet to win a tournament since he defeated Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon. The 20-year-old subsequently lost to Djokovic in the epic Cincinnati Masters final before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open semi-finals.
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