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Four storylines to look out for at the Rolex Paris Masters
The final Masters 1000 tournament of the year is just around the corner as the world’s biggest ATP stars head to Paris for the Rolex Paris Masters.
Ahead of the tournament, we highlight four key storylines to look out for in Paris as the excitement builds.
Norrie & Fery ramp up Davis Cup preparations
British No.1 Arthur Fery and No.2 Cam Norrie will see the Paris Masters as one of the final opportunities to solidify their form heading to the Davis Cup Finals at the end of November.
The pair have been selected to lead the Lexus GB Davis Cup team in Bologna, alongside doubles specialists Henry Patten and Neal Skupski, and will be hoping to boost their confidence ahead of the Finals with a strong showing in Paris.
Last year’s tournament in Paris saw Norrie record his biggest career win by ranking as he defeated then world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.
The Brit fought back from a set down to defeat the top seed 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and become the first British player to beat the No.1 ranked player in the world since Dan Evans knocked out Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2021.
That victory sparked a strong end to the season for Norrie, who went on to reach a second consecutive Moselle Open final, eventually finishing runner-up to teenager Learner Tien.
Meanwhile, Fery is preparing for his first appearance in Paris, as the 24-year-old continues to establish himself on the ATP Tour following a breakthrough year - reaching the Wimbledon semi-final and finishing runner-up at the Winston-Salem Open.
With another opportunity to test himself once again against the world’s best, Fery will be hoping to continue building momentum and confidence in the French capital.
ATP Finals race is still alive
The final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season offers one last opportunity for players to pick up valuable ranking points before the year draws to a close and, for several stars, a final chance to secure their place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz and Ben Shelton have already punched their tickets to the year-end championships, leaving five places still up for grabs. Among those in contention are former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe, breakthrough star Rafael Jodar and Australia's Alex de Minaur.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Jakub Mensik know that strong results over the closing weeks of the season are likely to be essential if they are to keep their Turin ambitions alive, with Paris acting as a pivotal opportunity to qualify.
With 1000 ranking points available in Paris and the final line-up for the ATP Finals far from settled, there's still plenty at stake heading into the final Masters of the year.
British doubles stars target final Masters of the season
British doubles players have enjoyed another standout season on the ATP Tour and will arrive in Paris among the leading contenders for one of the biggest titles still available in 2026.
World No.1s and reigning Paris Masters champions Patten and Harri Helivoaara will lead the charge as they look to add a second Masters title of the season to their haul. The British, Finnish duo claimed their third Grand Slam title together at Wimbledon earlier this summer, one of five trophies they've won this year.
While they’ll be looking to successfully defend their crown in the French capital, they’ll be challenged by Australian Open and US Open champions Skupski and Christian Harrison, who are targeting a first ATP 1000 crown as a partnership.
Skupski knows exactly what it takes to win in Paris, having clinched the crown in 2022 alongside Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof and will be hoping to replicate that winning form this year.
Meanwhile, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool will have form on their side heading into the Paris Masters following title-runs in Washington, Beijing and Lyon over the last two months. The all-British duo finished runners-up to Patten and Heliovaara in Paris last year but will be looking to get their revenge as they bid to go one further this year.
Hewett targets consecutive titles in Paris
World No.2 Alfie Hewett returns to Paris looking to defend the singles title he won during the inaugural wheelchair event at the tournament last year.
The Brit produced a memorable run to the crown in 2025, defeating long-time doubles partner Gordon Reid in an all-British final before the pair teamed up to reach the doubles championship match.
Hewett heads into the tournament in excellent form after winning his first Grand Slam title of the season at the US Open and reaching further finals at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. He also played a key role in helping the Lexus GB team secure the World Team Cup title earlier this month.
Reid has been equally impressive in recent weeks. The 35-year-old claimed both the singles and doubles titles at the Open Paratennis du Loiret and has climbed back to world No.1 in the doubles rankings.
With two of Britain's most successful wheelchair players arriving full of confidence, there could once again be plenty to celebrate for the British contingent in Paris.