'Come to the table' – stars pressure Grand Slams over prize money
Aryna Sabalenka is the latest top player to ramp up pressure on the Grand Slams over increased prize money and greater welfare benefits.
Aryna Sabalenka is the latest top player to ramp up pressure on the Grand Slams over increased prize money and greater welfare benefits.
Felix Auger-Aliassime moved to within 145 points of Lorenzo Musetti in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin on Friday, when he ended the run of French wild card Valentin Vacherot to reach the semi-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Vacherot had won his past 10 ATP Masters 1000 matches, highlighted by his fairytale victory in the Shanghai final earlier this month. However, he was unable to cope with Auger-Aliassime’s weight of shot and intensity in Paris, where the ninth seed earned a 6-2, 6-2 win to reach his fourth Masters 1000 semi-final.
“Every opponent is different. It was an interesting challenge coming onto court today and playing a player I knew from practice but had never played in a match. He is so confident and you are kind of scared to be honest,” Auger-Aliassime said. “You are not sure if he has got some magic right now that nobody else has but he is playing unbelievably. But I had to be so focused from the start and this level of intensity from the first game I brought helped ease me into the match and I played some good tennis.”
Auger-Aliassime rallied from a set down in his first three matches in the French capital but was in control from early on in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting against Vacherot. The 25-year-old, who broke Vacherot’s serve in the opening game, has reached 10 tour-level semi-finals this season, lifting trophies in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels.
Auger-Aliassime will next meet Alex de Minaur or Alexander Bublik. The eight-time tour-level titlist is 145 points behind Musetti in the Live Race To Turin and will leapfrog the Italian if he reaches the final. Auger-Aliassime is chasing his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, having qualified in 2022.
He struck 22 winners and committed 10 unforced errors in his win against Vacherot and is 47-21 on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
“I am trying to win every match I play,” Auger-Aliassime added. “Whether it is the end of the year or start of the year, everything counts and adds up in this sport. I think the work I put in, the routines. I try to be consistent with my work and try to bring consistency with everything I do and it is very gratifying when you get the consistency with your results.”
Vacherot stunned the tennis world when he won in Shanghai to become the lowest-ranked player in history to win a Masters 1000 title. The Monegasque star is up 10 spots to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after his quarter-final run in Paris.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters for the first time on Thursday, when he moved past Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 to keep alive his hopes of returning to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
The Italian moved tentatively at times between points in the opening set and flexed out his right leg but never called for a medical timeout during the 86-minute clash. The second seed struck 12 winners to just two unforced errors in the opening set to lead and then won a 10-minute game at the start of the second set to break Cerundolo’s serve, striking a forehand winner on his second break point of the game. From that moment, Sinner raced to victory.
With his win, Sinner became the first Italian to reach the quarter-finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The 24-year-old has triumphed at Masters 1000 events in Miami, Canada, Cincinnati and Shanghai.
Sinner, who leads Cerundolo 4-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, has won his past 23 matches indoors and has kept alive his hopes of capitalising on Carlos Alcaraz’s early Paris loss in the battle for World No. 1: The Italian can return to top spot next Monday if he can lift his first Masters 1000 title of the season.
Sinner will next meet Ben Shelton after the American defeated Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3. Shelton and Sinner will both compete at the Nitto ATP Finals next month.
Shelton defeated Sinner in Shanghai in 2023 but has lost the six following meetings, not winning a set in any of the encounters. The American will hope to change that record on Friday.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Alex de Minaur has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive season.
The 26-year-old guaranteed his spot at the season finale in Turin when he reached the Rolex Paris Masters quarter-finals on Thursday.
Before De Minaur qualified last year, the most recent Australian who played in the tournament was Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Now De Minaur is returning to compete at Inalpi Arena for the second time.
The seventh Turin qualifier won the third ATP 500 of his career this year in Washington, where he saved three championship points in a dramatic final against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
De Minaur also made the final in Rotterdam and semi-finals in Monte-Carlo, Beijing and Vienna. He earned the 300th tour-level victory of his career in Vienna.
The Australian leads the ATP Tour in hard-court wins with 42 as of his third-round victory against Karen Khachanov in Paris.
Only one spot remains at the year-end championships, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz already qualified. Lorenzo Musetti is currently eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, with Felix Auger-Aliassime 290 points behind. The Canadian is into the Paris quarter-finals.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]It’s time to vote! We need your help to determine the Fans’ Favourite winners in the 2025 ATP Awards.
Which tennis players have entertained you during the 2025 ATP Tour season? Show your support by selecting your favourite singles player and doubles team from the dropdowns below, and then submit your vote.
Voting for the 2025 Fans’ Favourite Awards closes at 11:59pm GMT on Friday, 21 November.
Note: Fans’ Favourite candidates are active players in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings and Top 20 teams in the PIF ATP Doubles Team Rankings as of 27 October 2025. The Top 100 includes players with protected ATP Rankings who have played at least one tour-level match in 2025. Candidates with protected rankings are noted in the list with (PR).
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we celebrate players and tournaments in the 2025 ATP Awards!
This year, the ATP is unveiling changes to the ATP Awards, designed to enhance the prestige and excitement of the season’s most celebrated honours.
For the first time, members of the exclusive ATP No. 1 Club – the 29 current and former players to have reached World No. 1 – will decide the winners of Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
The new Breakthrough of the Year category goes to the player who made the biggest breakthrough on the ATP Tour this season, with consideration given to milestone wins, significant jumps in the PIF ATP Rankings and first ATP Tour titles. Whilst there are no age restrictions, the Award is aimed at Next Gen and young players.
FULL 2025 ATP AWARDS LINE-UP
Determined by PIF ATP Rankings
• ATP No. 1 presented by PIF
• ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF
Voted by ATP No. 1 Club
• Breakthrough of the Year
• Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
Awarded by ATP
• Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
Voted by Fans
• Fans’ Favourite Award (Singles)
• Fans’ Favourite Award (Doubles)
Voted by ATP Coaches
• Coach of the Year
Selected by ATP Players
• Tournament of the Year (ATP Masters 1000, 500, 250 and Challenger)
Ben Shelton qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday when he reached the quarter-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters, leaving only one spot remaining at the season finale in Turin.
Shelton will play in the year-end championships for the first time after a career-best season in which he made his second major semi-final and claimed ATP Masters 1000 glory for the first time.
With Shelton and Taylor Fritz in the field, it is the first time two American singles players will compete for the Brad Drewett Trophy since 2006, when James Blake and Andy Roddick were in the field. Blake advanced to the final that year.
Shelton made a quick start to his 2025 campaign by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where only eventual champion Jannik Sinner was able to stop him.
The big-serving lefty made the Munich final in April and in June cracked the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings, becoming the fourth lefty from the United States to do so (since 1973). He joined Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Roscoe Tanner.
But the former college tennis standout’s biggest moment came in Toronto where, then 22, he became the youngest American Masters 1000 champion since 21-year-old Roddick triumphed in Miami in 2004.
Shelton joined Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Fritz in the Nitto ATP Finals field. Only two singles spots remain at the season finale, with Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti currently seventh and eighth, respectively, in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]For nearly four decades, the Rolex Paris Masters has been where the season’s final sparks fly. A place where champions rise to deliver another dazzling performance, where the crowd’s roar bounces off the roof and the lights pulse with every forehand.
Few tournaments blend elegance and energetic chaos quite like Paris. So it feels fitting that, for its 40th edition, the event has moved to La Défense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor sports venue and a bold new stage for indoor tennis.
“It’s stunning. If you like tennis, this is the place to be right now,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “You can see all the players with so many matches, which is great. Honestly, the attention to detail is second to none. Even the seats for the players, everything is stitched on. It’s beautiful.”
The lights at the Rolex Paris Masters are unique. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
The numbers alone tell the story. The 17,500-seat centre court makes it the second-largest tennis court at a year-round event in the world, behind only Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open.
Situated in the heart of Paris’s business district, the Arena’s interior is divided by 9,000 square metres of blackout curtains, creating a sleek amphitheatre feel. Within those walls are three additional match courts, a practice court and a dedicated gym and warm-up zone for players.
“I think it was great timing to move to our new home, to rewrite our story, to reinvent ourselves and get bigger,” said Cedric Pioline, Tournament Director. “We have a new venue with a new setup. The identity of the tournament will be closer to events such as Roland Garros, where there’s a lot of noise, a lot of life. This is the direction we are going.”
Watch Cedric Pioline talk through new era at La Défense Arena
There has never been a shortage of atmosphere at France’s ATP Masters 1000 event. Last year, Alexander Zverev silenced two home favourites in front of passionate Parisian crowds on his way to the title.
Returning to the French capital this year, the German knew exactly what awaited him — intensity, noise, and emotion, despite the change of venue.
“I just enjoy playing in front of an atmosphere. Whether it’s for me — of course it’s always nicer when the fans are cheering for you — but I also enjoy it when the fans are cheering against you, because there is still energy there, there is still noise,” Zverev told ATPTour.com. “Whether it’s for me or for somebody else, it’s always nicer to play in big stadiums than small ones. It’s something you always dreamed of as a kid.”
No tournament crowd in the world sounds quite like Paris. Impatient, theatrical, passionate — it’s a crowd that lives each point. At La Défense, that heartbeat is multiplied. The expanded stands and the acoustic design turn every ‘Allez’ chant into a rolling wave. For players, it’s a new kind of electricity.
Still, the move wasn’t made lightly. The Accor Arena in Bercy, the event’s longtime home, was rich in history: Novak Djokovic’s record seven titles, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s 2008 breakthrough, the pounding bass that signalled the start and end of matches.
Bercy gave the Rolex Paris Masters its claustrophobic intensity — the sense that anything could happen when the lights dimmed and the music hit. But if those moments belong to memory, they also make the move feel earned.
The tournament has always been about evolution: From smoky halls to global stage, from wood to carbon, from Bercy’s intimacy to La Défense’s scale.
“For the first edition at La Défense Arena, the atmosphere is electric and the ‘Tribune Bleu’ sets the courts alight,” said Charles Tonnelier, a fan from the 12th arrondissement of Paris. “Life off the courts is also very enjoyable, with well-chosen activities contributing to the overall festive atmosphere.”
The Tribune Bleu at La Défense Arena on Day 3. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
The “Tribune Bleu”, a group of die-hard French supporters is a new element of the setup. They flood the stands, lifting home players and energising the crowd with their drums and vuvuzelas. The sound swells, chants echo, and colour fills the stands in ways Bercy’s tighter structure never allowed.
As the ATP Tour season reaches its final stretch, that intensity gives French players a crucial boost. Last year, Ugo Humbert drew on the home energy to defeat Carlos Alcaraz en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
“As a tournament organiser, we always want French tennis players to be supported by the crowd because this adds value to the tournament,” Pioline told ATPTour.com. “Everyone wants to play well. French tennis players want to play well. We saw what happened with Humbert. We saw how much the crowd cheered for him. It is always something that is important.”
<img alt=”Nicolas Mahut” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/30/14/30/mahut-farewell-paris-2025.jpg?w=100%25″ />Nicolas Mahut plays the final match of his career at La Défense Arena. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
At La Défense Arena, it’s still unmistakably the Rolex Paris Masters. It’s still that late-season drama as players chase qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, still that mix of sweat, glamour and high-stakes tension.
But now, it feels reborn. The arena’s glow reflects off the glass skyscrapers outside, the crowd surges as the lights fade to green, and the echoes of Paris’s sporting heart fill the air once again.
The stage is larger now. The chaos echoes deeper. The atmosphere, somehow, even more alive.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]If Felix Auger-Aliassime can go on to secure a spot at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, he will have done it the hard way.
Needing a third-round victory on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters to keep his hopes of qualifying for the prestigious season finale in Turin alive, the ninth-seeded Canadian overcame Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was the third time in as many matches in Paris this week that Auger-Aliassime has rallied from a set down to advance.
Into the quarter-finals 🗣️@felixtennis comes from a set down to defeat Altmaier 3-6 6-3 6-3! @RolexPMasters | #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/HgT89brssC
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 30, 2025
“Three sets all week. It’s been a struggle all week,” reflected Auger-Aliassime. “Just fighting back, I feel like every day. That’s why I came in today knowing it might be tough again. Just stay calm, stay patient, and try to find solutions. I tried to dig deep. I know I have solutions within myself, but it’s just about making the right choices and executing right.
“I started serving better and better as the match went on. I was struggling with his change of pace on the serve… It was just a bit of a mix up in my mind, where to return. I found a way to pressure him and broke him three times in the rest of the match.”
Perhaps feeling the effects of his bruising opening wins against Francisco Comesana and Alexandre Muller, Auger-Aliassime was sluggish in the opening stages of his clash with Altmaier at La Défense Arena. Yet he showed no visible signs of panic and delivered a rock-solid performance in the second and third sets to set a quarter-final showdown with Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot.
With his Tour-leading 81st victory indoors this decade, Auger-Aliassime moved to within 290 points of eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Canadian can leapfrog Musetti this week by reaching the final in Paris.
Watch Auger-Aliassime’s Stunning Backhand Late In Altmaier Clash:
Auger-Aliassime was aggressive on serve throughout against Altmaier, and he finished having won 87 per cent (39/45) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. His frequent forays forwards on a relatively slow Paris court also proved crucial: The eight-time ATP Tour champion won 20 of 25 points at the net.
Now into the quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive tour-level event, Auger-Aliassime will now prepare for a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Vacherot, who earlier downed Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 6-4. The Monegasque breakout star has now won 10 consecutive ATP Masters 1000 matches, and he is up to 10 spots to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Paris run so far.
There is now just one open spot remaining in the Nitto ATP Finals lineup after Ben Shelton secured his debut at the prestigious season finale and was promptly joined by Alex de Minaur in qualifying for Turin.
Shelton downed Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3 to book his quarter-final spot in Paris. The highlight of the American lefty’s impressive win was the searing last-gasp forehand he produced to clinch the opening set on Court 1. Now 40-20 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Shelton will take on second seed Jannik Sinner or Francisco Cerundolo in the last eight.
Watch Shelton’s Set-point Scorcher In Paris:
De Minaur raced past former Paris champion Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-2 to ensure he will compete in Turin for the second consecutive year. The Australian notched his Tour-leading 42nd hard-court victory of the season to reach his eighth Masters 1000 quarter-final.
A meeting with Alexander Bublik will be De MInaur’s next assignment in Paris. The Kazakhstani kept his own outside Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes alive by upsetting Taylor Fritz 7-6(5), 6-2.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The Nitto ATP Finals doubles field is now complete.
Christian Harrison and Evan King will join Julian Cash/Lloyd Glasspool, Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos, Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic, Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten, Joe Salisbury/Neal Skupski, Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz and Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori in Turin from 9-16 November.
Harrison and King, playing a full season together for the first time, will make their debut at the season finale. They were guaranteed their place on Thursday when Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin fell at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Starting from qualifying at the Dallas Open, the debuting duo won 14 of 15 matches. That set the stage for their breakthrough season, becoming the first all-American team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals since 2018, when Mike Bryan and Jack Sock won the title.
King and Harris won titles in Dallas, Acapulco and Brussels, while also reaching the final in Delray Beach.
Their best result at a major came at Roland Garros, where they made the semi-finals behind four straight-sets victories, including a quarter-final win against fellow Turin qualifiers Heliovaara and Patten. The Americans also made semi-finals in Indian Wells, Madrid and Tokyo.
Krawietz and Puetz will defend their title at Inalpi Arena, with 2024 finalists Arevalo and Pavic also in the field.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]British number two Cameron Norrie struggles to find his rhythm and falls to a straight-set defeat against Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot at the Paris Masters.