At the end of the season, Paris often produces new masters; this time, can the young dark horse maintain his streak?

The Paris Masters will decide its final champion tonight Beijing time, with the matchup between world No. 2 Sinner, who has reached all eight quarterfinals in this event, and Alcaraz, who holds the record for the most indoor hardcourt wins since 2020. Regardless of the winner, a new name will be added to the Paris Masters champion roll.

So, who have been the champions in the history of the Paris Masters? The most successful player historically is undoubtedly Djokovic. Although he did not participate this year, he holds many tournament records, including seven titles at this event. For Djokovic, the idea of a “curse” simply does not exist.

Especially from 2018 to 2020, he achieved a three-peat. In recent years, Djokovic has also placed great importance on this tournament, winning three times in odd years between 2019 and 2023, which is a notable feat. Additionally, he has played a supporting role as the best runner-up for Khachanov and Rune, who have each won their only title so far with his presence in the background.

Among his many runner-up finishes, the 2016 final against Murray is probably the most famous. At that time, Murray started an intense point-gathering spree in the second half of the season, and after a strong run, he defeated Djokovic in both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, overtaking him to claim the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Another champion is Safin, the coach of Rublev. The Russian won the title three times here, and this tournament also marked his farewell event. Many fans’ idol gave his final performance to this romantic city, making it a perfect ending.

Besides these two, Grand Slam champions like Sampras, Agassi, Becker, Ivanisevic, and Rusedski have also claimed this prestigious title.

In fact, the Paris Masters has produced many masters. The long-time runners-up of the Big Three, Berdych and Ferrer, who reached deep rounds in Grand Slams but never won, managed to seize the opportunity and claim the crown here.

It is also worth mentioning Soderling, who handed Nadal his first French Open defeat and acted as the backdrop for Federer completing his career Grand Slam. Paris did not disappoint him either, as he secured a Masters title here.

Khachanov and Rune, with the former experiencing a slump after his title but returning to the top ten after reaching the Masters final again this year; the latter defeated several top ten players including Djokovic on his way to a highly valuable title run.

At the season’s end, many top players show signs of fatigue, some miss due to injury, others are past their peak, which might explain why many strong players can capture their only Masters title now. So, can Alcaraz keep his winning streak alive tonight?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)