Jannik Sinner's quest to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking gained momentum on Wednesday, as the Italian secured a straightforward 6-4, 6-2 victory over Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters. Sinner, who needs to win the ATP Masters 1000 title to unseat Carlos Alcaraz, was given a clear path to the top spot following Alcaraz's shock second-round defeat to unseeded Cameron Norrie the day before.
He kept Bergs under constant pressure throughout, forging 11 break-point chances and successfully converting three of them. Crucially, the Italian did not concede a single break point on his own serve. Sinner, who is chasing his fifth title of the year and 23rd overall, served exceptionally well. "I was very precise, and I also started off with a break straight away, which gives you a bit more confidence," he noted after the match.
Sinner's 65-week debut reign as World No. 1 ended in September after his loss to Alcaraz in the US Open final. Alcaraz's unexpected defeat to Norrie in Paris, which also ended the Spaniard's 17-match winning streak at Masters 1000 events, effectively handed Sinner control of his own destiny for the top spot. Should Sinner win the Paris title, he is guaranteed to return to the summit of the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.
The sudden shift in the rankings battle also intensifies the race for the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF. While Sinner conceded that finishing the year at No. 1 is "impossible" and a goal for next year, winning Paris is essential. If Sinner wins in Paris, he will significantly close the gap on Alcaraz in the Live Race to Turin. The outcome of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals will then determine the year-end ranking, especially since Sinner is defending 1,500 points there, having won the event in 2024.
The 24-year-old Sinner clinched victory on his first match point and advances to the third round where he will face unseeded Francisco Cerundolo. Elsewhere in the draw, defending champion Alexander Zverev rallied to beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5, while eighth-seeded Casper Ruud's chances of reaching the ATP Finals in Turin ended with a defeat to Daniel Altmaier.
