Jannik Sinner moved closer to reclaiming the world number one ranking with a straight-sets victory over Ben Shelton at the Paris Masters. The Italian won 6-3, 6-3 in just 70 minutes, reaching the semi-finals in Paris for the first time. Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit at the hands of Cameron Norrie opened the door for Sinner to leapfrog him in the rankings if he wins the tournament.
“I’m very happy,” Sinner told Sky Sports. “It was a very, very tough match. At times you don’t have a lot of control because of his incredible serving, but today I felt like I was returning very well.”
Focus Beyond Rankings
Despite the ranking implications, Sinner emphasized that his focus remains on performance rather than numbers.
“At the moment I’m not thinking about the ranking,” he said. “It’s a consequence of how I’m playing.”
The Australian Open and Wimbledon champion reflected on the long season and the importance of reaching the final stages in Paris.
“Making the semis here in Paris means a lot. It has been a very long season with some great, great results and I never take these results for granted.”
Zverev Sets Up Semifinal Clash
Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals after the German saved two match points to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Zverev’s resilience in a tense three-set battle sets the stage for a high-stakes encounter with Sinner.
Bublik’s Emotional Breakthrough
Alexander Bublik reached his first Masters semi-final with a comeback win over Alex de Minaur, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5. The victory sparked emotional scenes for Kazakhstan’s top player, who continues to make strides on the ATP Tour.
Auger-Aliassime Cruises Past Vacherot
Felix Auger-Aliassime will meet Bublik in the other semi-final after defeating Valentin Vacherot 6-2, 6-2. The Canadian ninth seed ended the Monaco player’s impressive run, advancing with a confident performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGr1vHvYzmA
ATP Paris - Jannik Sinner's projected path
Sinner in Paris, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.2, Sinner has achieved a composed 51-6 record in 2025. The Italian is playing in Paris where he overcame the world no.41 Zizou Bergs 6-4 6-2, the world no.21 Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-1 and the world no.7 Ben Shelton 6-3 6-3
.Jannik Sinner will square off with the world no.3 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal on Saturday at 5:00 pm on COURT CENTRAL. Their head to head is 4-4.
Sinner has won 4 titles in 2025 at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Beijing and Vienna. The Italian reached the final in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia), at the French Open, in Cincinnati (Cincinnati Open) and at the U.S. Open.
The Italian won 23 titles in his career: 11 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 9 on indoor courts and 2 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Ben Shelton in 2025
Now the world no.7, the American played his last match on the 31st of October when he lost to world no.2 Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-3 in the quarter in Paris (draw).
During this season Ben has an overall 40-21 match record. This year, Shelton conquered 1 tournament in Toronto. The American got to the final in Munich.
Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton faced off 8 times. Their record is 7-1 for Sinner.