Paris
Sinner soars previous Shelton, one step nearer to regaining World No. 1
Italian is on a 24-match profitable streak indoors
October 31, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Jannik Sinner is 2 wins from reclaiming World No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings.
By ATP Workers
Jannik Sinner powered previous Ben Shelton on Friday on the Rolex Paris Masters to succeed in the semi-finals of the French ATP Masters 1000 occasion for the primary time and proceed his push to return to World No. 1.
The second seed delivered a press release in his four-hundredth tour-level match, ousting the American 6-3, 6-3 to increase his indoor profitable streak to 24, courting again to November 2023. Ought to Sinner declare his fifth trophy this season — and first ATP Masters 1000 title of 2025 — he would return to No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.
“It was a really robust match. At instances towards Ben you don’t have a number of management due to his unbelievable serving, however immediately I felt like I used to be returning very nicely,” mentioned Sinner, who gained 71 per cent of his second-serve return factors, based on Infosys ATP Stats. “Additionally from the again of the court docket, I performed very strong and likewise very aggressive, so I’m very pleased about immediately’s match.”
Sinner didn’t commit a single unforced error off his dependable two-handed backhand and completed with simply 10 on his forehand. The Italian was aggressive on second-serve returns and showcased lightning-fast reflexes towards Shelton’s hefty supply.
After incomes triple set level at 5-3 within the opener, Sinner transformed his second alternative when he leapt apart to evade Shelton’s booming physique serve earlier than working down a backhand and drilling the ball into the open court docket to shut out the 34-minute set.
Sinner wavered briefly at 3-1 within the second set when he was damaged to like, with Shelton sealing the sport with a banana-curling forehand move. However Sinner shortly regrouped to race in direction of a 69-minute victory. Shelton’s daring second-serve gamble, a 190 km/h supply, at 3-4 backfired with a double fault, permitting Sinner to serve for the match.
thirteenth ATP Masters 1000 SF 🙌@janniksin takes out Shelton in straight units to proceed his 23-match profitable streak on indoor onerous courts🤯@RolexPMasters | #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/YuEfcEYaQk
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 31, 2025
Up subsequent for Sinner will likely be third seed Alexander Zverev or eleventh seed Daniil Medvedev, who continues his late-season cost in direction of a once-unlikely Nitto ATP Finals berth. Sinner leads Medvedev 8-7 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence and is tied with Zverev at 4-4, together with a win final week towards the German within the Vienna closing.
Along with his victory Friday, Sinner turned the primary Italian man to succeed in 43 tour-level semi-finals, breaking his tie with Fabio Fognini and Adriano Panatta. Sinner can be the primary Italian to succeed in the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals. Sinner entered the week with only one win throughout his earlier three appearances on the indoor occasion.
Since falling to Shelton of their first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly two years in the past in Shanghai, Sinner has gained seven consecutive matches towards the 23-year-old. The Italian is 22-0 towards Individuals since that defeat and 14-0 towards left-handers in that point.
