Injured Cobolli out of Paris in blow to ATP Finals hopes

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner will not compete at the ATP Finals due to a knee injury. Flavio Cobolli, currently the best positioned to claim the fifth ATP Finals place, pulled out of the Paris Masters on Monday following a muscle injury. The French Open runner-up had previously withdrawn from the second round of the Vienna tournament last week due to a minor muscle strain.

Despite his emotional decision to sit in tears after retiring, Cobolli decided to travel to Paris with the hope of recovering in time for the season-ending event in Turin. Four of the eight spots in the ATP Finals remain available, with Cobolli leading the field after Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Daniil Medvedev have already secured their qualifying berths.

Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe, and Rafael Jodar are still in contention, with Jodar currently holding the final qualifying spot after defeating Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets during his first match in Paris. Jodar will now face Casper Ruud in the next round. Alex de Minaur, as well as seven-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, also remain in the running, but they must achieve deep runs this week to maintain their hopes of participating in Turin.