Jannik Sinner is one victory away from claiming the world No. 1 ranking after advancing to the final of the Paris Masters 1000.
The Italian, currently ranked world No. 2, secured his spot in the final on Saturday. A win in Sunday’s championship match would see him overtake Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who was eliminated earlier in the tournament.
Sinner defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the world No. 3, in a dominant semi-final performance. He won 6-0, 6-1 in just 63 minutes.
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Sinner will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final. Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 10, also secured his place in the final on Saturday.
For Auger-Aliassime, reaching the final is a crucial boost in his bid for the year-end ATP Finals. He rose to eighth in the race for qualification, surpassing Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, with only one week remaining.
Following his semi-final victory, Sinner acknowledged Zverev’s physical struggles. “When you break physically like him, you can’t have full strength on your serve,” Sinner stated. “I’m happy to be in the final, but that’s not how we want to get there.”
This marks Sinner’s first time reaching the final of the Paris Masters. It is his third Masters 1000 final appearance this season.
Auger-Aliassime advanced by defeating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, ranked No. 16. He won 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes. This is his second career Masters 1000 final.
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The head-to-head record between Sinner and Auger-Aliassime is currently tied at two wins each. Auger-Aliassime also benefited from a Sinner withdrawal before a quarter-final match in Madrid in 2024.
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