Tommy Paul jokes about fishing after Paris Masters win

Tommy Paul beat France’s Quentin Halys 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the third round of the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday.

The American 12th seed never dropped serve.

He needed one hour and 36 minutes to close out the match.

Paul won 43 of 45 points behind his first serve.

He saved the only break point he faced.

Halys saved seven of eight break points but could not stop Paul from striking late in both sets.

Halys, ranked at a career-high No. 46, had beaten Frances Tiafoe (world No. 8) earlier in the week.

Paul will face third seed Ben Shelton or Arthur Rinderknech in the quarter-finals.

After the match, Paul was asked about his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin.

He laughed and said, “Otherwise, I’ll go back to fishing.”

The line was a joke, but it carried a layer of calm that is rare for a player still mathematically alive in the race.

Paul is currently No. 14 in the world.

His 2026 season has already produced four finals appearances.

He won the title in Houston earlier this year.

He opened the Paris Masters with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Holger Rune.

He then beat Daniel Merida 6-1, 6-1 in the second round.

The ATP Finals take place in Turin, Italy, from November 15 to November 22, 2026.

Only the top eight singles players in the ATP Race qualify.

Paul is not yet mathematically eliminated, but he needs a deep run in Paris and help from other results.

His comment about fishing suggested he is not losing sleep over it.

That attitude contrasts with the visible tension of other players still chasing a spot.

Earlier this week, Novak Djokovic lost to qualifier Rinky Hijikata, ending his own hopes of reaching Turin.

World No. 1 Alexander Zverev lost to Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.

Paul’s quarter-final opponent, Ben Shelton, said after his win over Rinderknech that he feels “100 percent for the first time since the US Open.”

Shelton and Paul have a 2-2 head-to-head record since 2022.

Their quarter-final match is scheduled for Friday.

Halys, speaking in French at his press conference on Wednesday, had said he expected a difficult match against an American who moves well.