Jannik Sinner has just made comments which should inspire every other player at the Paris Masters right now

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As soon as Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Paris Masters, Jannik Sinner’s chances of claiming his 23rd ATP title skyrocketed.

In one of the more surprising upsets of the 2025 tennis season, Alcaraz lost to Cameron Norrie in the second round of the final Masters 1000 competition of the year.

The Spaniard’s exit may have blown the top half of the draw wide open, but as for the event as a whole, a two-horse race was just reduced to one horse.

That being said, it won’t be entirely straightforward for Sinner in the French capital, with the Italian still to face some tough opponents, including Ben Shelton in the next round.

While the world number two remains the heavy favourite to go all the way in Paris, his recent comments should inspire every other player in the draw.

Jannik Sinner’s comments should inspire the rest of the draw

After defeating Francisco Cerundolo in the third round, Sinner gave an honest assessment of his physical state.

The 24-year-old, who struggled physically in the Vienna Open final against Alexander Zverev, said he and his team have ‘tried to manage’ the issues he was dealing with in his win over the German during his time in Paris.

He admitted: “Of course, I am not ‘fresh fresh’, but let’s see. I hope that I can recover physically, which is my main priority.”

Even with Sinner not at 100%, he has still managed to win his first two matches at the Paris Masters in straight sets.

• Round of 32 – Defeated Zizou Bergs, 6-4, 6-2
• Round of 16 – Defeated Francisco Cerundolo, 7-5, 6-1

From here on out, however, playing while nursing a potential injury might not be enough for the four-time major champion to go all the way.

His half of the draw consists of Shelton, Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, all of whom are capable of clinching a win against Sinner if he is not at his best.

Those three stars, as well as contenders Valentin Vacherot, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Bublik, and Alex de Minaur, should all be more motivated than ever following Sinner’s statement.

A golden opportunity has now emerged for several players to add to their title tally, and finish their 2025 season in the best possible way.

Ben Shelton’s perfect opportunity against Jannik Sinner

No player in the draw could use a win against Sinner more right now than his next opponent, Shelton, who has failed to beat him since 2023.

The American’s last victory against Sinner came at the Shanghai Masters two years ago, but since then, the head-to-head has been incredibly one-sided.

Now, while his Australian Open semifinal conqueror is struggling with his fitness, Shelton has the perfect opportunity to snap his losing streak in the rivalry and book his place in the semifinals of the Paris Masters.

A statement win against Sinner would do a world of good for his confidence heading into both the latter stages of Paris and the ATP Finals in Turin, which he is now qualified for.