Carlos Alcaraz did not play a point on Thursday and still moved into the Paris Masters quarterfinals. Matteo Berrettini withdrew from their round of 16 match with arm pain, handing the second seed a walkover into the last eight of a tournament whose shape has changed completely in 48 hours.
“Unfortunately, the pain in my arm that I’ve been putting up with for the past few days means I won’t be able to take to the court tonight,” Berrettini said in an Instagram post reported by France24.
Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, three of the most familiar names on the Paris trophy in recent years, are all out. The ATP’s results sheet lays out the damage from Wednesday: top seed Zverev beaten by Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(5), 6-2; Djokovic knocked out by Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Medvedev eliminated by Ignacio Buse 6-4, 6-4.
With Jannik Sinner sitting out the rest of the season, the field left to fight for the trophy contains nobody who has lifted it before. A new name will be added to the Paris Masters roll of honor on Sunday.
Alcaraz back in the last eight for the first time since 2022
The walkover matched Alcaraz’s best career result in Paris. He reached the quarterfinals here in 2022, then went no further, and had not been back to the last eight since. He has never won the title.
Alcaraz is the top-ranked player left in the draw and the only former Grand Slam champion still standing. He will try to push beyond that quarterfinal ceiling on Friday against the winner of Arthur Fils, the sixth seed and home favorite, and Taylor Fritz, the American seeded 11th and chasing one of the last places at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Shelton and Paul to open an all-American quarterfinal
Ben Shelton booked his quarterfinal spot on Thursday with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Arthur Rinderknech, his 43rd match win of the season. His reward is a meeting with Tommy Paul, the first Shelton-Paul match since 2024 and their fifth career encounter at 2-2.
“He’s in great form right now. A great player, a great friend,” Shelton said of Paul, according to La Nación.
Read also: Real Madrid could sign €50m defender for just €9m as Premier League giants circle
The other quarterfinal already set pairs Luca Van Assche, into his first Masters quarterfinal after beating Musetti, with Hijikata, who followed his win over Djokovic by beating Tomas Etcheverry. The last quarterfinal berth will be decided on Thursday evening between Fils and Fritz.
Alcaraz plays his quarterfinal on Friday. Shelton and Paul meet in Paris the same day.
Read also: ‘I’ve really struggled’: Hamilton’s rare admission about F1 tires since the 2022 switch
