Rolex Paris Masters: Stefanos Tsitsipas rallies past Roberto Carballes Baena 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Bercy opener

A sluggish start rectified under Bercy’s bright lights

The final ATP Masters 1000 event of the 2026 calendar kicked off in the French capital on Monday, 2 November, with Stefanos Tsitsipas digging deep to avoid an opening-round upset against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena. The Greek 10th seed overcame a set deficit to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and seven minutes on Court Central inside Accor Arena.

Carballes Baena came out firing with nothing to lose, exploiting Tsitsipas’ slow indoor adjustments. The Spanish veteran used heavy topspin to push Tsitsipas deep behind the baseline, securing an early break with a delicate drop shot and serving out the opening set in 44 minutes.

Faced with an early exit that would have dealt a fatal blow to his Nitto ATP Finals aspirations, Tsitsipas reset his tactical blueprint. Stepping closer to the baseline, the Greek began taking the ball on the rise, dictating rallies with his inside-out forehand and shortening points by attacking the net.

Serving supremacy and 37 winners pave the comeback

The turning point arrived in the fourth game of the second set, where Tsitsipas punished a series of second serves to break for a 3-1 advantage. From that moment, his serve became virtually unplayable on the slick Parisian hardcourt, winning 81 percent of first-serve points across the second and third sets.

Tsitsipas struck 37 winners and 11 aces, breaking Carballes Baena twice more in the deciding set with blistering backhand down-the-line passing shots. The victory improves Tsitsipas’ 2026 match record to 45-20 and keeps him in contention for the remaining qualification spots for Turin.

Meanwhile, fresh from his title triumph in Vienna on Sunday, world number one Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Bercy on Monday afternoon to conduct his media obligations and begin practice sessions, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the indoor European season.