The Paris Masters begins on Monday at the Plénitude Arena in Nanterre without Jannik Sinner and Félix Auger-Aliassime, the finalists from the previous edition. Sinner won that tournament, but both players have withdrawn to focus on their recoveries.
Sinner has not competed since winning Wimbledon in July. In an interview with La Repubblica, the Italian said that the body was the only opponent he could not defeat and that an athlete must accept its limits when it signals the need to stop.
Their absences are part of a broader injury situation affecting several leading players at the end of the 2026 season. The number of withdrawals has altered the balance at the top of the ATP rankings, with Germany’s Alexander Zverev taking the world No. 1 position on Monday.
Zverev benefited from the extended absences of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz missed four and a half months of competition, while Sinner’s most recent match remains his Wimbledon title run.
French coach Patrick Mouratoglou described staying healthy as one of the skills required of a professional athlete, underlining how physical condition has become a decisive factor in the closing stages of the season.
Sources: Le Monde Sport.