Carlos Alcaraz arrives in Paris, a new era begins at La Défense Stadium | ATP Tour
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Alcaraz arrives in Paris, a new era begins at La Défense Arena
Paris is one of three ATP Masters 1000 titles missing from the Spaniard’s resume
October 24, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
2018 champion Karen Khachanov and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz train in Paris on Friday.
Jerome Coombe
A new chapter for the Rolex Paris Masters has begun at its striking new home, and with it the arrival of the PIF ATP No. 1 player.
Carlos Alcaraz arrived at La Défense Arena on Friday morning ready to compete in his first Tour event since his victory in Tokyo last month. Wearing a beanie and escaping the crisp Paris air, the 22-year-old Spaniard surveyed the vast new venue before heading to the practice court with 2018 champion Karen Khachanov.
Carlos Alcaraz and 2018 champion Karen Khachanov practice for the first time on the new venue 🦾#rolexparismasters pic.twitter.com/tXSGE0soMb
— Rolex Paris Masters (@RolexPMasters) October 24, 2025
Alcaraz injured his left ankle during his win in Tokyo and subsequently missed the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai. Earlier this week, he returned to his hometown of El Palma, Spain, to train with the team in preparation for his return to the Tour de France. Now with a 5-4 record in Paris, including his best performance in 2022 when he reached the quarterfinals, the world No. 1 arrives with unfinished business.
Could a move to Europe’s biggest indoor stadium spark his first French crown? La Défense’s Center Court has a capacity of 17,500 spectators, making it the second largest tennis venue to host events year-round, after the Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open.
The Rolex Paris Masters is just one of three ATP Masters 1000 titles missing from Alcaraz’s illustrious resume. Over the coming week, he will be looking to complete that goal and firmly seize the opportunity of a second ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking brought by PIF.
Alcaraz has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, leading his opponent Jannik Sinner by more than 2,000 points at the PIF ATP Turin Live event. Sinner will compete in Vienna this week and reaches the quarter-finals on Friday.
Alcaraz had a tour-leading 67 wins and eight titles in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index. In Paris, he returns to indoor competition for the first time since February, when he won his first trophy in such conditions at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam.
