Looks like Jannik Sinner is finally back on track. Fresh off his “tough” Vienna Open win, the Italian tennis sensation carried his momentum into the Paris Masters in style. First, he dispatched Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round. This followed the World No. 2 maintaining his rhythm with a commanding victory over Francisco Cerundolo, setting up a thrilling quarterfinal clash against Ben Shelton. Yet, even though the odds are in favor of Sinner, the 4x Grand Slam winner admits it will be anything but easy.

“Of course I’m not fresh fresh,” the Italian star said after his 7-5, 6-1 rout over Cerundolo. “But let’s see. I feel like today was a match that wasn’t as physical.. Which is good for me. Happy to finish it off in 2 sets. Under 1 and a half hours. I’m gonna sleep very well tonight. I’ll be ready for tomorrow. It’s gonna be a really difficult opponent tomorrow. I have to play at 100%.

“Happy how I handled the match [today]. I felt much better. This hopefully can give me the confidence to start off tomorrow in a good way hopefully. Every match is different. Let’s see what’s coming. I hope I can recover physically, that’s my main priority.”

Quite understandable why Sinner is especially concerned about the physical side of things. During his most recent clash, the 24-year-old appeared visibly fatigued and in pain throughout the match, the aftermath of little to no rest after his ATP Vienna triumph. Unfortunately, this sight is nothing new.

During the Shanghai Masters, too, Sinner was forced to retire in the third set of his third-round match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor. The problem on that occasion was severe leg cramps. Now, fast forward to the Vienna Open final-round win against Alexander Zverev. Though the cramping returned, one thing was clear: Sinner is not one to give up so easily if he puts his mind to it.

“I think you always feel a little more pressure in a final,” Sinner said after the match. “I had some cramps, very, very small. What happened in Shanghai definitely taught me something.” 

Hopefully, he’ll be taking those same learnings to his quarterfinals clash against Ben Shelton.

The American star enters the game with an emphatic 7(7)-6(4), 6-3 win over Sinner’s fellow countryman, Flavio Cobolli, followed by a 7(8)-6(6), 6-3 win over Russia’s Andrey Rublev. It would be interesting to see how the match unfolds, especially since Shelton last tasted impactful success at the Canadian Open. 

That said, for now, all eyes are on Sinner after Alcaraz’s shocking exit. The 2025 Paris Masters is now one tournament that will not feature a ‘Sincaraz’ summit clash this season. Alcaraz’s early exit from the Paris Masters gives Sinner some leeway to climb back to the number one spot in the rankings. But is he pursuing it?

Jannik Sinner drops the ‘No. 1’ dream for good!

The spotlight quickly shifted to Jannik Sinner and his potential to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking with a title run at La Défense Arena. Having recently beaten Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam, Sinner was asked if he still harbored hopes of overtaking the Spaniard this season. His response, however, was realistic: “This year, it’s going to be impossible.”

Having previously reigned at the top for nearly 65 weeks before losing the position following his US Open final defeat, deep down, Sinner knows the chances of a late-season comeback are slim. Still, with Alcaraz’s early exit in Paris, there remains a faint possibility for Sinner to snatch the top spot back, albeit only for a short period.

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Even so, during his pre-tournament press conference, Sinner once again emphasized a realistic outlook. “Honestly, I’m not thinking about this right now. It’s a goal for next year—this season, it’s no longer in my hands.”

A fair decision, you think? Well, that’s for you to decide in the comments below.