Carlos Alcaraz has moved into the quarterfinals of the Rolex Paris Masters without stepping onto the court on Thursday, following the withdrawal of Matteo Berrettini. The Italian player announced his exit from the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season due to an elbow injury, according to the ATP Tour.
Berrettini confirmed on social media that persistent pain in his arm prevented him from competing in his scheduled match against Carlos Alcaraz at the Rolex Paris Masters. The Italian had secured his place in the Round of 16 after a three-set victory against Brandon Nakashima and a straight-sets win over local player Ugo Humbert.
Equaling a Personal Best in Paris
By advancing through the withdrawal, Alcaraz has matched his best result at the Paris Masters, having also reached the quarterfinals in 2022, where he was forced to retire during a tie-break in the second set against Holger Rune. Achieving a spot in the final eight matches that career best for Alcaraz, who has recorded a 39-5 win-loss record on the Infosys ATP circuit this season and arrived in France fresh off a title victory at the ATP 500 event in Vienna last week.
Matteo Berrettini has to withdraw from the Rolex Paris Masters. Wishing you a speedy recovery Matteo ❤️🩹 Carlos Alcaraz is qualified for the quarter-finals.#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/sdRuUDCTHr
The path to the quarterfinals follows a hard-fought debut for Alcaraz in Paris, where he overcame American Alex Michelsen 7-6(4), 6-3 in a match that lasted one hour and 42 minutes. Reflecting on that opening performance, Alcaraz noted the difficulty of adjusting to the faster conditions of the indoor hard courts compared to his recent campaign in Austria.
Alcaraz Awaits Winner of Rescheduled Match
Alcaraz now awaits the winner of the match between Arthur Fils and Taylor Fritz, which has been rescheduled to 7:00 p.m. local time on Thursday. The outcome of that encounter holds potential consequences for the qualification race for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Alcaraz’s progression could influence the tournament hopes of fellow Spaniard Rafa Jódar. Jódar’s path to the season-ending finals relies on specific results from other competitors, including the performance of Fritz and Tommy Paul in Paris. If Fritz defeats Fils to reach the quarterfinals, he would face Alcaraz, creating a scenario where the Spaniard could directly impact the American’s standing in the race to Turin.
Top-Seeded Players Suffer Early Tournament Exits
The field in Paris has seen significant shifts following the early exits of several top-seeded players. The tournament has already lost high-profile contenders including Alexander Zverev, who fell to Lorenzo Musetti, and Novak Djokovic, who was defeated by qualifier Rinky Hijikata. Daniil Medvedev also exited the draw after a loss to Ignacio Buse.
12 sets in a row 😤@carlosalcaraz continues his 6-match winning streak with a win over Michelsen!#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/tgpzVfyHeR
While the draw has opened up, the competition remains focused on the remaining matches scheduled for Thursday, including the clash between Jan-Lennard Struff and Casper Ruud, and the meeting between Rinky Hijikata and Tomás Etcheverry. Alcaraz remains the leading favorite in Paris following his recent title in Vienna, though he faces a wait to see which opponent will challenge him for a spot in the semifinals.
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