Alcaraz reaches Paris QF without swinging a racket

Carlos Alcaraz has received the first walkover of his professional career, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Rolex Paris Masters without playing a single point in the third round.

Matteo Berrettini withdrew from their scheduled match on Thursday, November 5, 2026, citing arm pain that had persisted for several days.

The Italian announced his decision on Instagram, writing: "Hi everyone, unfortunately the arm pain I've been having for a few days won't allow me to play tonight."

He added: "Over the next few days I'll have all the necessary tests to better understand what's happening."

Berrettini closed his statement by thanking fans for their support "every day on and off the pitch."

The withdrawal means Alcaraz, the world No. 3, moves into the last eight without expending any energy in the third round.

This is the first time in his career that Alcaraz has benefited from a walkover at any level of professional tennis.

The 23-year-old Spaniard arrived in Paris after winning the Vienna Open last week, extending his winning streak to six matches.

Alcaraz has also won 12 consecutive sets, dating back to his run in Austria.

His Paris campaign began with a second-round win over Alex Michelsen, 7-6, 6-3, on Tuesday.

In that match, Alcaraz lost his serve once but broke Michelsen twice, turning the tide after trailing 4-1 in the first-set tiebreak by winning six straight points.

He also saved a break point in the seventh game of the second set before breaking Michelsen in the next game to close out the victory.

Berrettini, meanwhile, had fought through two tough matches to reach the third round.

He defeated Brandon Nakashima in the first round on November 3, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) after saving two match points in the decisive tiebreak.

He then beat France's Ugo Humbert 7-6(3), 7-5 on November 4, recovering from a 4-1 deficit in the second set.

Those two wins were historic for Berrettini: they marked his first main-draw victories at the Paris Masters in his career.

The Italian had arrived in Paris after reaching the quarterfinals in Vienna last week, where he defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry and advanced past Flavio Cobolli after a retirement, before losing to Alex de Minaur 7-6(4), 6-2.

Injuries have been a recurring theme for the former world No. 6.

Berrettini was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Australian Open before his first-round match against Alex de Minaur due to an abdominal injury.

He also withdrew from the 2026 French Open during his third-round match against Matteo Arnaldi because of a hip injury.

At the 2021 ATP Finals, he retired mid-match against Alexander Zverev with a similar abdominal issue.

The 2023 and 2024 seasons saw him miss the 2024 Australian Open due to a foot problem.

Alcaraz now awaits the winner of the match between Taylor Fritz and Arthur Fils, which will determine his quarterfinal opponent.

Fritz is chasing a spot at the ATP Finals, while Fils is seeking a deep run in front of home fans at the La Défense Arena.

This is only the second time Alcaraz has reached the Paris Masters quarterfinals.

His previous appearance at this stage came in 2022, when he was 19 years old.

Last year, Alcaraz fell to Cameron Norrie in the second round in three sets, a result that ended his run early.

The Spaniard is chasing his best result in Paris, as the tournament remains one of the few notable events where he has yet to play in the latter stages.

With Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev both suffering shock defeats earlier in the tournament, the draw has opened up significantly for Alcaraz.

Djokovic and Zverev lost their opening matches in Paris, removing two of the biggest obstacles in Alcaraz's path to the title.

Alcaraz has not commented publicly on his walkover or the state of the draw.

Berrettini has not provided further details about the nature of his arm injury beyond his initial Instagram post.

The Paris Masters is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 events on the calendar, sitting just below the Grand Slams in prestige.

A walkover occurs when a player withdraws from a match before it begins, and the opponent advances without playing.

This is different from a retirement, where a player starts a match but cannot finish it.

In ATP rules, a walkover counts as a win for the advancing player but does not count as a match played for statistical purposes.

Alcaraz's quarterfinal match is scheduled for Friday, November 6, with the time to be determined after the Fritz-Fils result.

The winner of that quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals, which are scheduled for Saturday.

The Paris Masters final will be played on Sunday, November 8.

Alcaraz has never won the Paris Masters title.

His best result remains the quarterfinal run in 2022.

A deep run this week would strengthen his position in the ATP rankings, where he currently sits at No. 3 behind Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard has won four Grand Slam titles: the 2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, 2024 French Open, and 2025 Wimbledon.

He has also won five Masters 1000 titles, including Indian Wells (2023, 2024), Madrid (2022, 2023), and Miami (2024).

Berrettini's best Grand Slam result remains the 2021 Wimbledon final, where he lost to Djokovic.