Rolex Paris Masters Players To Watch
Holger Rune (42-1): Rune is in a really tough portion of the draw: he’ll face a rock-solid opponent in Matteo Arnaldi right awat, and he’ll likely see Jannik Sinner in the round of 16. But Rune is a player to keep an eye on whenever he’s playing in an indoor hard-court event. These conditions bring out the very best in him.
In 2022, Rune won a title in Stockholm, made a final in Basel a week later and then beat Djokovic in the final of this very event. It was a stunning run from a highly-talented player, and Rune has looked sharp since the end of September. He made the semifinals in Tokyo, beat Matteo Berrettini and Jiri Lehecka in Shanghai and then played well in Basel. That said, you shouldn’t be surprised if he gives anybody a run for their money here.
Karen Khachanov (50-1): Don’t look now, but it appears Khachanov’s got his groove back. The Russian has had a tough 2024 season, but he will head into 2025 with some momentum. Just a few weeks ago, Khachanov won a 250-level title in Almaty, and he followed it up with a run to the final in Vienna. In Vienna, Khachanov earned wins over Brandon Nakashima and Matteo Berrettini, two dangerous quick-court players, and he did so by putting on some of his best serving performances of the season. He then did the same in a straight-set win over Alex de Minaur.
Khachanov has done a really good job of extending rallies over the past few weeks, and his aggression is way up from where it was early in the year. He also happens to be in a pretty reasonable portion of the draw. After Pablo Carreno Busta, I like his chances against either Frances Tiafoe or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the round of 32. After that, it’d presumably be Daniil Medvedev, but it’s winnable with how the 28-year-old has looked in recent months. Considering all of that, a deep run isn’t out of the question for Khachanov, who won this event in 2018.
