Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, could potentially face American Ben Shelton and Danish player Holger Rune at the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 (October 30 – November 5), according to the draw conducted on Friday, which was rather favorable to the French players.
The Serbian player, who took a break after the Davis Cup in September and skipped the Asian tour, is making his return to Paris and may encounter the passionate American Ben Shelton (15th) in the eighth-finals. Djokovic had previously defeated Shelton in three sets during the semi-finals of the last US Open. If he advances, Djokovic could face Holger Rune (6th) in the quarter-finals, in a potential rematch of the 2022 edition final, which was won by the Danish player (3-6, 6-3, 7-5).
Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz (2nd in the world) will compete in the same section of the draw as Daniil Medvedev (3rd) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (7th). On the other hand, the French players had a relatively good draw, according to the words of Gilles Moretton, the president of the French Tennis Federation, who described it as “generally favorable for our French players”.
Richard Gasquet (69th) will face a tough challenge in the first round against American Tommy Paul (12th), while Adrian Mannarino (24th), Ugo Humbert (28th), Arthur Fils (38th), and Benjamin Bonzi (87th) will all face players from the qualifiers in the first round.
Gaël Monfils (89th), who recently won his twelfth career title on Sunday in Stockholm, will face Argentine player Francisco Cerundolo (21st).
