Tomás Martín Etcheverry secured the first top-10 victory of his career, defeating world No. 9 Alex de Minaur in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters. The 27-year-old Argentine, currently ranked 31st in the world, triumphed 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 at La Défense Arena, marking his first victory in 21 attempts against a top-10 opponent.
A breakthrough performance in Paris
Etcheverry entered the match after a grueling first-round victory over Andrey Rublev, which lasted nearly three hours and ended 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3). Despite the physical toll, the Argentine maintained his composure against De Minaur. After falling behind 3-1 in the opening set and saving two set points, Etcheverry stabilized his game and closed out the contest in one hour and 59 minutes. He recorded four aces and maintained a 76% first-serve percentage throughout the match.
“It was a very tough match. It was decided by details, by one or two balls,” Etcheverry told ESPN. “I have to stay focused always against these rivals. I played well from everywhere, I served very well. I love playing in Paris, it is one of my favorite cities.”
Impact on the ATP Finals race
De Minaur, who had been pushing for a spot in the season-ending tournament in Turin, saw his chances of climbing to No. 8 in the Race to the ATP Finals diminish with the loss. The defeat allows Spain’s Rafael Jódar to maintain his current standing over the Australian. The tournament, which features a prize pool of 6,309,095 euros, is the final Masters 1000 event of the season.
The next challenge against Rinky Hijikata
Etcheverry is scheduled to face Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata in the third round this Thursday. Hijikata secured his spot in the round of 16 after an upset victory over Novak Djokovic, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. The loss for the seven-time champion in Paris marks the first time since 2005 that Djokovic has failed to reach the quarterfinals of any Masters 1000 event in a single season. Before facing Djokovic, Hijikata had noted, “Statistically, Novak is the best player of all time. There is practically nothing he hasn’t achieved in this sport.”
The upcoming match between Etcheverry and Hijikata is set for the third rotation on Thursday, with the Argentine holding a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head record following a 6-1, 6-4 victory in the round of 16 at the 2025 Hangzhou Open.
Broader tournament developments
The event has been marked by significant upsets, including the elimination of new world No. 1 Alexander Zverev by Lorenzo Musetti. Other Argentine players faced mixed results: Mariano Navone fell 6-3, 7-5 to Luca Van Assche, while lucky loser Sebastián Báez was eliminated early. Thiago Tirante, another lucky loser, fought for two hours and 23 minutes before falling to Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Carlos Alcaraz advances in the draw
In other action at the tournament, Carlos Alcaraz will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the round of 16.
Worth a look
