The Rolex Paris Masters witnessed a seismic upset as Frenchman Ugo Humbert sent shockwaves through the tournament by defeating world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling encounter. Backed by an energized home crowd, Humbert displayed masterful tennis, conquering the four-time Grand Slam champion in a captivating 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 victory. This remarkable triumph booked Humbert a quarter-final showdown against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.
Alcaraz, known for his aggressive style, found himself in a deep hole early on, facing a 5-0 deficit in the first set. The Spaniard, despite his early struggles, even playfully acknowledged the one-sided nature of the first set by waving his racket and grinning to the crowd after holding serve in the sixth game. However, Humbert held his ground and closed out the opener in a mere 26 minutes.
Alcaraz regained his composure in the second set, taking control of the match. However, the third set saw a tense battle as Alcaraz missed crucial opportunities to seize the momentum. In a tense deciding set, Humbert held serve to move ahead 6-5, before Alcaraz, despite saving a match point on his serve, ultimately hit a long shot, handing the victory to the Frenchman.
“There were some incredible points, I think I have just experienced one of my greatest moments on a tennis court,” Humbert said after the match. “I don’t want it to end here.”
Meanwhile, Grigor Dimitrov kept his hopes alive of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals with a hard-fought victory over Arthur Rinderknech. The Bulgarian, who needs to reach the final in Paris to crack the top eight in the season-long standings, survived a spirited comeback by the Frenchman. Dimitrov dominated the first set, only to face a determined challenge from Rinderknech in the second and third sets. The veteran Bulgarian ultimately prevailed in a tense tiebreaker, securing a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) win and securing his 20th Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance.
Alex de Minaur also boosted his own ATP Finals chances by overcoming a set deficit to defeat Jack Draper 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. This victory ended Draper’s hopes of making his maiden ATP Finals appearance. Draper, who was playing his seventh match in eight days, needed a strong performance in Paris and a subsequent strong week at a smaller event to qualify. “You can never say ‘job done’ in the middle of a tournament, that’s not in my DNA,” De Minaur said. “Obviously I’m super-stoked with the win, but I will keep on doing my best and keep on trying to win more matches.”
Dimitrov is set to face Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals, while De Minaur will take on Holger Rune, who overcame Arthur Cazaux after Jannik Sinner withdrew due to a virus.
Alexander Zverev showcased his serving dominance, silencing the passionate home crowd to defeat Arthur Fils 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. This victory secured the French Open runner-up a quarter-final clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“The atmosphere here is a lot louder than at Roland Garros,” Zverev commented. “It feels the court is smaller and the crowd is on top of you. It is something we don’t get a lot on tour but I love it.”
The Paris Masters continues to provide exciting drama and unexpected twists as players battle for coveted points and a place in the prestigious ATP Finals.
