Finals: reaching plenitude
After a week of world-class entertainment, the Rolex Paris Masters is set to crown its newest champions and add fresh names to the tournament's illustrious roll of honour.
Centre Court: not all heroes wear capes
The French flag has flown proudly above Paris throughout the week, and Sunday promises more of the same.
Starting at 12:30pm, wild cards Quentin Halys and Pierre-Hugues Herbert will kick off proceedings on Centre Court against second seeds Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski. It is a formidable challenge, considering the American-British partnership claimed both the Australian Open and US Open titles in their first season together.
Yet the French duo arrive full of confidence after avenging an earlier defeat by knocking out reigning champions and world No.1 team Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the semi-finals. One thing is certain: they will have the full backing of the Paris crowd as they attempt to complete another upset.
The spectators are unlikely to leave their seats afterwards, with an electrifying men's singles final scheduled for 3pm between second seed Carlos Alcaraz and third seed Ben Shelton.
Determined to finally make his mark in Paris, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has produced the full range of his talents this week. First came a remarkable escape against Taylor Fritz, then an imperious performance against Casper Ruud to reach the sixth final of his season, the 11th Masters 1000 final of his career and the 38th tour-level final overall.
Across the net will stand a rejuvenated Shelton, who has blasted his way through the draw with trademark power and confidence. The American has reached the sixth final of his season and the third Masters 1000 final of his career. More significantly, he won the first two.
Spectacular by nature, Alcaraz and Shelton produced one of the matches of the season in the US Open quarter-finals, a blockbuster packed with power, drama and intensity. Sunday's final now offers the perfect sequel. Will the outcome be different this time? That's certainly Alcaraz's hope. "I really want my revenge. The last time I played Ben was an incredible and difficult match. I'll need to be better in the big moments than I was at the US Open."
Court 2 – Victory will belong to the most tenacious
Wheelchair tennis takes centre stage once again on Court 2, where play begins at noon. Fresh from his doubles triumph alongside Gordon Reid, Gustavo Fernandez knows he is about to face arguably the toughest challenge in the sport.
"It's going to be very difficult because he's a great champion and an outstanding player. But I think I'm playing really well at the moment, so hopefully it will be a good match and enjoyable for the spectators to watch. I'm sure there will be opportunities, and it's going to be a great day."
Standing opposite him will be defending champion Alfie Hewett, who produced a commanding display in the semi-finals to defeat his friend and compatriot Gordon Reid, who also happened to be Fernandez's doubles partner this week.
Although Hewett leads their head-to-head series 38-20, the Briton is taking nothing for granted after defeating the Argentine in the semi-finals of each of the past three Grand Slam tournaments. "Guga is a powerful player who hits the ball incredibly hard and very flat. On this surface in particular, I expect another very tough match, similar to the one I had in the semi-finals. I'll need to serve well and be fully committed on the return games so that he can't dictate the rallies. I can't wait." Spoiler alert: neither can we.
Sunday's final between Guga and Alfie will be broadcast live, with commentary from Olivier Jacquemin and Kevin Piette, on the Rolex Paris Masters YouTube channel from noon.
To experience the action courtside and cheer on your favourite player, book your tickets through the official Rolex Paris Masters ticketing platform and head to court 2 for what promises to be a memorable occasion.