Djokovic Oldest Paris Winner, Zverev v Musetti and Alcaraz Tonight: Wednesday Paris Guide and Turin Race

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How did Djokovic become the oldest Paris winner?

Novak Djokovic beat Valentin Vacherot 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday 3 November, and in doing so became the oldest match winner in the tournament's history. Djokovic is 39 years old, a record seven time Paris champion, playing in Paris for the first time since his 2023 title, and seeded 10th, so he gets no first round bye. Vacherot, the Basel champion and the man who beat Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters semifinals last season, led Djokovic 1-0 in their head to head before Tuesday, and for a set and a half it looked like he might extend that lead.

Vacherot won the first set tiebreak 7-5, after Djokovic had led 5-4 in the tiebreak and missed a forehand volley at the net. Vacherot reeled off the last four points of the tiebreak, sealed the set when Djokovic sent a backhand return long, and looked like the fresher, freer player. In the second set, Djokovic took a medical timeout for a shoulder issue at 2-1 down, while Vacherot later required treatment for an ankle and foot problem. The match turned in the 12th game of the second set, when Djokovic broke Vacherot to take the set 7-5, his first break opportunity of the match converted at exactly the right moment. From there, Djokovic took control. He broke Vacherot in his first service game of the decider, stretched him from corner to corner, and ran away with the third set 6-1, closing with a backhand winner down the line. The match lasted two hours and 35 minutes, and it was Djokovic's first win at an ATP Masters 1000 event since reaching the fourth round at Indian Wells in March.

Djokovic said afterwards, in the spirit of his Monday press conference, that he can still find a way to win long matches, even when critics think he is too old. That is not just a quote. It is the story of his season. He reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semifinals, fell in the third round at the French Open and the first round at the US Open, and has spoken all year about a physical struggle that eased after the US Open, highlighted by his seventh Beijing title and 102nd tour title. Paris is his last chance to reach Turin, and Tuesday kept that chance alive. A first round defeat would have ended it. A comeback win, from a set down, against the in form Basel champion, keeps it alive and gives him momentum into Wednesday.

What does Tuesday change in the Turin race?

Paris is the last qualifying event for the ATP Finals in Turin, from 15 to 22 November, and four places were still to be decided before this week. Before Paris, only four players had secured qualification: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev. Jannik Sinner is out for the season with a knee injury, so effectively ninth place in the Race to Turin gets in, as the eighth qualifying spot in practice. Tuesday reshaped that race in two ways, and both matter for Wednesday.

First, Casper Ruud beat Rafael Jodar 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday night. Jodar held the ninth and final provisional Turin spot before Paris, and his defeat means his place is now in the hands of other results, notably Alex de Minaur's result. Reporting on Wednesday notes that Ruud's win confirmed Flavio Cobolli for the ATP Finals, which means Cobolli is now qualified and Jodar is no longer holding a safe spot. That is a major shift, because on Monday Jodar had beaten Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3 and looked like he was holding on. One night later, he is vulnerable, and every other bubble player has a clearer path.

Second, Djokovic's win keeps his own maths alive, but does not change them. Djokovic started Paris 11th in the Live Race, on about 2,900 points, about 319 points behind Jodar's provisional spot. A quarterfinal in Paris, worth 200 points, would leave him short regardless of what Jodar does. A semifinal, worth 400 points, would lift him to 3,290 points, and could be enough only if Jodar loses early, which he now has, in the second round, to Ruud. A final, worth 600 points, would lift him to 3,490 points and almost certainly be enough, unless de Minaur surges past both of them. Winning the title, worth 1,000 points, would take him to 3,890 points and qualify him outright. In plain terms, Djokovic still needs at least a semifinal, and probably a final, to feel safe. The difference after Tuesday is that Jodar's early loss helps him, because Jodar cannot add more Paris points now, while Djokovic can.

| Paris result for Djokovic | Points earned | Djokovic Race total | Turin chance | | Quarterfinal | 200 | About 3,100 | Not enough | | Semifinal | 400 | About 3,290 | Possible, helped by Jodar second round loss | | Final | 600 | About 3,490 | Almost certainly enough, unless de Minaur surges | | Title | 1,000 | About 3,890 | Qualifies |

Other Tuesday results also matter. Ben Shelton, third seed and already qualified for Turin, beat Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 in the night session, equalling his season best total with a 42nd win of the year. Shelton's win does not change the Turin race, because he is already in, but it does mean he will be a dangerous opponent in the later rounds, and a possible semifinal opponent for Zverev. The full Turin picture will be clearer after Wednesday, when Zverev, Djokovic, Alcaraz and the other bubble players have all played their second round matches.

What is on Wednesday in Paris, and when does it start?

Wednesday 4 November is the biggest day yet in Paris, because the top seeds play their first matches and Djokovic plays his second round match, all on Centre Court. The ATP order of play for Wednesday, confirmed on the ATP Tour schedule page, is below. Centre Court starts at 11:00 Paris time, which is 10:00 London time, because Paris is one hour ahead of London in November.

| Centre Court match, Wednesday 4 November | Paris time | London | New York | Karachi | | Quentin Halys v Frances Tiafoe, 7th seed | 11:00 CET | 10:00 GMT | 05:00 EST | 15:00 PKT | | Alexander Zverev, 1st seed, v Lorenzo Musetti | Not before 13:30 CET | Not before 12:30 GMT | Not before 07:30 EST | Not before 17:30 PKT | | Novak Djokovic, 10th seed, v Rinky Hijikata, qualifier | Follows Zverev | Follows Zverev | Follows Zverev | Follows Zverev | | Alex Michelsen v Carlos Alcaraz, 2nd seed | Not before 19:00 CET | Not before 18:00 GMT | Not before 13:00 EST | Not before 23:00 PKT | | Arthur Fils, 6th seed, v Tomas Machac, qualifier | Not before 20:30 CET | Not before 19:30 GMT | Not before 14:30 EST | Not before 00:30 Thursday PKT |

Zverev v Musetti is the match of the day session. Zverev became world number one on Monday 2 November, the 30th player in history to top the ATP rankings and the first German since Boris Becker in 1991, and Wednesday is his first match as world number one. He had a bye in the first round, as all top eight seeds do, and he faces Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6, 7-6 on Monday, saving match points in a tiebreak that lasted over 21 minutes in one report, and who leads Zverev 3-2 in their head to head, according to Tennis Tonic. Musetti is a mercurial Italian, a recent Lyon champion, and a player who can beat anyone on his day. For Zverev, this is not a gentle first match as number one. It is a test against a player who has beaten him before, in front of a Paris crowd that will be behind the underdog story.

Djokovic v Hijikata follows Zverev on Centre Court. Hijikata, an Australian qualifier, beat Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round, and he will face Djokovic for the first time in Paris. Djokovic will be favourite, but Tuesday showed that he needs time to find his rhythm, and that his shoulder needed treatment mid match. If Djokovic wins, his projected path is Alex de Minaur or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round on Thursday, then Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals on Friday, if both win their matches. That is a brutal path, but it is also the path that would give him the points he needs. If he loses to Hijikata, his Turin bid ends on Wednesday, and his season ends in Paris.

Alcaraz v Michelsen is the night session headline. Alcaraz, second seed, also had a bye, and he opens his Paris campaign against American Alex Michelsen, not before 19:00 Paris time. Alcaraz is already qualified for Turin, so his Paris goal is different from Djokovic's. He wants the title, and he wants to finish the season as the player to beat in Turin. Michelsen is a young American with nothing to lose, and night session matches in Paris are loud, fast, and unpredictable. Fils v Machac closes the night, not before 20:30 Paris time, with French sixth seed Arthur Fils against Czech qualifier Tomas Machac. Fils will have the crowd, Machac will have the freedom of a qualifier, and that is often a dangerous combination.

Other Wednesday matches worth noting include Matteo Berrettini against Ugo Humbert on Court 2 at 18:00 Paris time, and Daniil Medvedev, fourth seed, against Ignacio Buse. Humbert reached the Paris final in 2024, beating Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov on the way, before losing to Zverev, so he knows this court. Medvedev is already qualified for Turin, but he will want match practice before Turin, and a first match against a qualifier is never straightforward.

How can fans watch Paris, and what happens next?

Television and streaming rights vary by country, and this post does not claim a single global channel. In France, the match can be watched on Eurosport, according to Tennis Tonic, and Tennis TV streams the tournament as a paying platform. In the UK, Sky Sports Tennis covers the Paris Masters, with Centre Court matches in the afternoon and evening London time. In the United States, Tennis Channel and streaming services carry the tournament, with morning Eastern times for the day session and afternoon Eastern times for the night session. Check local listings for your country, because Paris Masters rights are sold market by market.

For fans going to the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, the practical advice is simple. Arrive for the 11:00 Paris time start if you want to see the full Centre Court day session, because Zverev and Djokovic are second and third on court, not first, and you will want to be in your seat before the second match ends, not rushing in during the changeover before Djokovic walks out. The night session starts not before 19:00 Paris time, so if you only have a night session ticket, plan to arrive early for Alcaraz, because the queue for the night session will build from the late afternoon.

What happens next depends on Wednesday. If Zverev beats Musetti, he takes his first step as world number one towards a deep Paris run, and towards Turin as the top seed. If Musetti beats him, it will be the upset of the tournament, and it will shake up the Turin seedings. If Djokovic beats Hijikata, his Turin bid survives to Thursday, and the de Minaur match becomes the next hurdle. If he loses, his season ends, and the Turin field will be decided without him, for the first time in many years. If Alcaraz beats Michelsen, he stays on course for a Zverev final, which is the final Paris wants. Wednesday is not just another day in Paris. It is the day the top seeds arrive, the bubble players play for their season, and the Turin race gets its clearest picture yet.

Related live posts: Djokovic v Vacherot Tonight in Paris: Turin Maths, Health Update and Tuesday Order of Play, and Zverev Wakes Up World No 1 as Paris Masters Starts: Djokovic v Vacherot and the Last Turin Race.

Sources: Reuters, Djokovic becomes oldest Paris Masters match winner, keeps ATP Finals hopes alive, 3 November 2026; ATP Tour, What is the Paris tennis schedule, 3 November 2026; Tennis Majors, Paris Masters order of play Wednesday, 3 November 2026; Tennis Temple, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Zverev and Fils Wednesday lineup, 4 November 2026; Stats Data, Paris Masters 2026 dates, tickets, TV, players, updated 4 November 2026; Europe Says, Ruud beats Jodar, Race to Turin after Tuesday, 4 November 2026.