Djokovic Survives Vacherot Scare in Paris to Keep ATP Finals Hopes Alive

Novak Djokovic is still chasing a spot at the season-ending ATP Finals, and he needed every bit of his experience to keep the dream alive in Paris. The 39-year-old survived a scare from Valentin Vacherot in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters, grinding out a three-set win that keeps his qualification hopes for Turin breathing.

The Vacherot Rematch

Djokovic beat Vacherot 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-1 in a match that lasted two hours and 34 minutes on Paris's hard courts. It wasn't easy. Vacherot, ranked 27th in the world, took the first set in a tiebreak and looked ready to spring another upset on the sport's biggest stage. Djokovic had to save three break points while serving at 4-4 in the second set to stay alive, before finally breaking through and running away with the third.

The win carried some history and some symmetry. It made Djokovic the oldest match winner in Paris Masters history, and it evened his head-to-head with Vacherot at 1-1 — the Monegasque player had stunned Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2025 Shanghai Masters, a run that made him the lowest-ranked finalist ever at an ATP Masters 1000 event. Vacherot arrived in Paris in good form, having pushed deep into the Basel draw the week before.

Djokovic's ATP Finals Push

The result matters well beyond one match. Djokovic, a seven-time Paris Masters champion, had dropped four straight matches at the Masters 1000 level coming into the tournament, and his position in the ATP Race to Turin has been shakier than usual this late in the year. The Nitto ATP Finals, which gather the top eight players in the world, run November 15-22 in Turin, and every ranking point Djokovic picks up in Paris puts him closer to locking up one of those spots rather than hoping for a withdrawal to sneak him in.

A Rocky Basel Before Paris

The Vacherot win is also a bounce-back. Just days earlier, Djokovic suffered a shock defeat to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, losing for the first time in nine career meetings with the German. The loss ended Djokovic's bid for a 103rd career title and was widely described as a blow to his Turin hopes, since it came earlier in that tournament than he had ever lost in Basel before.

Paris now carries extra weight as a result. A deep run would not only add crucial points but also restore some momentum heading into the sport's season finale, where Djokovic remains one of the most dangerous players in the world whenever he's healthy and sharp.

What's Next in Paris

Djokovic's draw doesn't get easier. The bracket sets up possible meetings with contenders like Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur in the later rounds, both of whom are also fighting in the Race to Turin. For now, Djokovic has done what he needed to do: survive, advance, and keep his season-ending goal alive for at least one more round.

For more on how the Basel loss set up this stretch of Djokovic's season, see our earlier coverage of his 103rd-title chase at the Swiss Indoors, and check our explainer on how ATP rankings work. Follow the rest of the tournament in our tennis coverage.

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