The four semifinalists of the Paris Masters have been decided, setting up an open draw with two former champions still in the race. The absence of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, along with the early exit of Carlos Alcaraz, leaves the semifinals wide open.
Alexander Zverev is the top remaining seed (No. 3) and has a prime opportunity to reach another Masters 1000 final, although he will face the 2022 champion Holger Rune, who has been playing his best tennis at one of his favorite venues. The other semifinal match sees local hope Ugo Humbert taking on the 2017 champion Karen Khachanov in what could be a surprising showdown
Rune vs. Zverev
Alexander Zverev has taken full advantage of his seeding at the Paris Masters, advancing smoothly through the rounds. The German defeated Tallon Griekspoor in the first round and then eliminated local Arthur Fils, one of the season’s most consistent players. In the quarterfinals, Zverev had a challenging encounter against Stefanos Tsitsipas but overcame it in straight sets, narrowing their head-to-head record to 6-10.
Facing him is Holger Rune, the 2022 champion who took the tennis world by surprise last year by beating Novak Djokovic in the final, securing wins over four top-10 players along the way. Last week, Rune reached the semifinals at the Swiss Indoors and has continued his strong performance this week in Paris, with wins over Matteo Arnaldi, Alexander Bublik, Arthur Cazaux, and Alex De Minaur.
Rune is now in his fifth Masters 1000 semifinal, though Zverev leads their head-to-head 2-1, with wins in their two 2024 meetings at Roland Garros and the Canadian Open.
Humbert vs. Khachanov
Ugo Humbert, the highest-seeded French player, has showcased his form and confidence throughout the tournament. The 15th seed secured wins over Brandon Nakashima and Marcos Giron before facing world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the Round of 16, where he earned one of the biggest wins of his career. Riding this wave of confidence, Humbert defeated Jordan Thompson in straight sets to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal.
Humbert is the first French player to reach the Paris Masters semifinals since Julien Benneteau in 2017.