World number two Carlos Alcaraz faced an unexpected defeat in the third round of the Paris Masters, falling to France’s 18th-ranked Ugo Humbert. Humbert clinched the match with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 7-5, marking his first victory over the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion after losing to Alcaraz in their previous encounters this year. Alcaraz struggled early on, starting the match with a daunting 0-5 deficit in the first set before managing to secure a game.
Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz acknowledged his shortcomings, stating, “I wasn’t at the level he was playing at. Ugo’s performance was impressive, and the way he attacks the ball is remarkable.”
Humbert expressed pride in his achievement, calling the match “crazy” and praising the vibrant atmosphere.
This loss adds to Alcaraz’s tumultuous second half of the season, which began with a heartbreaking defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Paris Olympics final. He exited early at the US Open against 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, defeated top seed Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final, and then faced a quarter-final exit at the Shanghai Masters against Tomas Machac, the world number 33.
Humbert will now face Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who reached the quarter-finals of a Masters event for the first time by overcoming Adrian Mannarino with a score of 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur’s quest to become the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to qualify for the ATP Tour Finals gained momentum after he defeated the in-form Jack Draper 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. This victory secured de Minaur the eighth and final spot for the end-of-season tournament in Turin. “I need to bring my intensity because Jack is an incredible competitor,” he stated.
De Minaur’s next challenge is 13th-seeded Holger Rune, who ended Arthur Cazaux’s run with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Stefanos Tsitsipas also kept his slim hopes for qualifying for the ATP Tour Finals alive with a comeback victory over Francisco Cerundolo, winning 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-2. “I felt like a bull starting the second set,” Tsitsipas noted, emphasizing the need for a deep run in Paris to remain in contention for Turin. He will next take on third-ranked Alexander Zverev, who defeated Arthur Fils 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, to reach the quarter-finals.
In another match, Russia’s Karen Khachanov, the 2018 Paris champion, advanced past Alexei Popyrin with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, setting up a clash against either Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov or France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
