Djokovic, Nadal, Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime: stars and challenges at Bercy

The public should enjoy themselves this week in eastern Paris, where the stakes are high and the stars are there.

While Novak Djokovic is aiming for a seventh coronation at Bercy, the sprint towards the place of world number 1 is launched and the last two tickets for the Masters remain to be awarded.

Let the show begin.

The place of world number 1 in question

Since his memorable coronation at the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz has been looking for his best tennis.

Having become the youngest world number 1 in history, the 19-and-a-half-year-old Spaniard finds it difficult to digest his new status.

With 5 titles and 67 games played this year, he sticks his tongue out.

Read alsoCarlos Alcaraz, the most precocious of the n°1: the figures of a meteoric rise

To the point of seeing his throne in danger.

Beaten at Bercy last year in the round of 16 by Hugo Gaston, the Murcien may lose his place this week.

It is his compatriot Rafael Nadal, who has no points to defend before 2023, who appears to be his main threat.

The Majorcan must win the Parisian tournament while hoping that Alcaraz does not go to the quarter-finals… The world number 3, Casper Ruud, is also in the race, but the Norwegian, in the tough, remains on 3 defeats in a row since his lost US Open final against Alcaraz.

Nadal in Paris, but far from his clay…

Nadal, who only played 11 tournaments in 2022 (against 17 tournaments for Alcaraz), can therefore still hope to win the bet.

And, if it's not in Paris, it could be at the Turin Masters (November 13 to 20).

Absent from the circuit since his defeat in the round of 16 of the US Open in early September, the new dad is present in the French capital.

A small event.

Fourteen times winner in the West of Paris, Nadal is still looking for a first coronation in the East of Paris.

Read alsoTennis: Nadal pays tribute to Federer, “I wish this day never happened…”

Far from his blessed land, the Mallorcan has never really shone on the side of the Porte de Bercy, indoors, with a disputed final and lost in 2007 (against Nalbandian).

It must be said that he only has 8 participations, being often injured at this time of the year.

Or it was during the tournament that his body gave up on him with a retirement and two withdrawals… End of the curse this week?

Djokovic the natural favorite

Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is at home in Paris-Bercy.

The 35-year-old champion remains the natural favorite for a tournament he has already won 6 times, including twice in his last two appearances, in 2020 and 2021: “

, ”slips the Serb.

Falling back to 7th place in the world, the Djoker, who has only played 9 tournaments this year, is having a funny season.

His stubborn refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19 deprived him of the Australian Open in January, then of the American summer tour, US Open included, as well as four Masters 1000 (Indian Wells, Miami , Montreal, Cincinnati).

Crowned at Wimbledon, the man with 21 Grand Slam titles has just won two rank titles, in Tel Aviv and Astana, his 89 and 90 career titles and ensured his qualification for the Masters.

A new coronation in Paris would confirm that the boss is still him.

The Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime threats

The Russian and the Canadian, winners of the Vienna and Basel tournaments respectively on Sunday, arrive fully pumped up.

Daniil Medvedev is comfortable at Bercy, where he won two years ago.

Hit in the adductors during his lost semi-final against Djokovic in Astana, the Muscovite, who also became a dad in recent days, found colors in Austria, where he won his second title of the year.

Read alsoTennis: in Vienna, Medvedev wins his second title of the year

Félix Auger-Aliassime has been unstoppable in recent weeks.

The 22-year-old Canadian, winner in Switzerland, remains on 3 consecutive titles and 13 successes in a row.

And, if he has only one victory in two participations, “FAA” presents himself as the number one outsider, perfectly launched to obtain one of the two remaining tickets for the Turin Masters.

The limited ambitions of the Blues

That's not a scoop.

French men's tennis is doing badly.

New number one tricolor in Monday's ranking, Arthur Rinderknech, 51st in the world, has an invitation to enter the main draw of the Masters 1000 in Paris.

Just like Adrian Mannarino, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon, who is playing against Andy Murray (Monday evening from 7:30 p.m.) perhaps the last game of his career.

The three other tricolors present in the final table had to go through the qualifications (Arthur Fils, Quentin Halys and Corentin Moutet).

French tennis, in this lean period, dreams of a spark to ignite the Accor Arena, a year after the career of Hugo Gaston (quarter-finalist).