After missing the Shanghai Rolex Masters and taking a rest period to recover from the ankle injury he suffered in Tokyo, Carlos Alcaraz returned to action at the 'Six Kings Slam' in Saudi Arabia last week and lost to his huge rival Jannik Sinner in the final for the second year in a row. The world number 1 is not at the top of his shape yet and it is for this reason that he arrived in Paris hugely early, wanting to get used to the new conditions in which the last Masters 1000 of the season will be played (which has changed venue starting from this edition).
The 22-year-old Spaniard has not had a huge feeling with this tournament so far, considering that he has never gone beyond the quarterfinals and suffered an abdominal injury in this tournament in the 2022 edition. The star from Murcia was present in Bercy last year, but was eliminated by local idol Ugo Humbert in the round of 16 unleashing a performance far below expectations and criticizing the organizers for the excessively fast surface. According to the latest rumors, the court will be slower this year with the aim of making the surface more similar to that of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
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Carlitos' potential path
Yesterday the main draw of the last Masters 1000 of the season was drawn and Carlitos' potential path is not easy at all. The No. 1 seed will have a first-round bye and make his debut against Sebastian Baez or Cameron Norrie, before a potential third round against Shanghai Masters 1000 winner Valentin Vacherot.
His opponent in the quarterfinals could be Felix Auger-Aliassime or Casper Ruud, while Taylor Fritz would await him in the semifinals if he respects the prediction. It's no secret that fans dream of a final between Carlitos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who has a potential path theoretically easier than his main rival despite world number 3 Alexander Zverev finishing on his side. The German ace is the defending champion and had played an excellent tournament a year ago, but the situation has changed a lot and he is really far from his best shape now.
