Quarter-finals: living up to the high expectations
Singles, doubles and wheelchair tennis: there will be no shortage of action across the four courts of the Plenitude Arena.
Centre Court – Men's Singles
Some are chasing a last-minute flight, others simply hope to end their season on a high or continue breaking through new barriers. As surprising as they are unpredictable, the men's singles quarter-finals of this 2026 edition will all take place on the biggest stage in the Hauts-de-Seine arena.
Kicking things off at 2pm will be an all-American showdown. Having escaped victorious in the dying moments of his battle against Arthur Rinderknech, US Open finalist Ben Shelton (No.3) will find his friend Tommy Paul (No.12) waiting on the other side of the net. While the two know each other extremely well, they have not met since 2024 and are perfectly tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head record. Both are aiming for a first-ever Paris semi-final, but the lower-ranked player in this contest has the greater pressure on his shoulders, as he must reach the final to keep his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin alive.
Such considerations are unlikely to distract the next two protagonists, who have been living a dream since the start of the tournament. Backed by his home crowd, local hero Luca Van Assche, who produced a stunning upset of Lorenzo Musetti in the last 16, will once again draw on the support of the fans as he looks to halt the remarkable run of Rinky Hijikata. Coming through qualifying, the Australian has already staged two sensational comebacks against Novak Djokovic and Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Not bad at all. Neither player had ever won a match at the Rolex Paris Masters before this week, and now they stand on the brink of the semi-finals. Opportunities like this do not come around often.
In the evening session (not before 7pm), Taylor Fritz (No.11) and Carlos Alcaraz (No.2) will take centre stage for a contest that may be closer than it appears on paper. Alcaraz, who received a walkover from Matteo Berrettini in the last 16, leads their rivalry 6-1 and has won their last three meetings. Yet the Californian has been steadily building momentum, defeating Arthur Fils after earlier comeback victories against Benjamin Bonzi and Alex Molcan. Entertainment is virtually guaranteed.
Finally, impressive throughout his last three matches, lucky loser Nuno Borges will face Casper Ruud, whose Paris campaign has been flawless so far. Both men have won all of their main draw matches without requiring a deciding set and know full well that a golden opportunity lies ahead. If determination, ambition and enjoyment outweigh the pressure, this encounter could provide quite the spectacle.
Court 1 – Men's Doubles
The quarter-finals are also on the agenda for the eight remaining teams in the men's doubles draw, and here too the match-ups promise to be both closely contested and highly entertaining.
Starting at 2pm, American pair Robert Cash and Brandon Nakashima will attempt to upset second seeds Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski. They will be followed by an enticing clash between Lucas Miedler / Neil Oberleitner and Petr Nouza / Michael Venus.
French supporters will be particularly torn in the third match of the day, as Théo Arribagé and Albano Olivetti, who secured qualification for Turin two days ago, take on Quentin Halys and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The final quarter-final on court 1 will once again feature French interest, with Benjamin Bonzi and Arthur Rinderknech facing a daunting challenge against top seeds and defending champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
Courts 2 & 3 – Wheelchair Tennis
Following Thursday's official draw ceremony, which marked the start of the second edition of the wheelchair tennis events, the sport's leading stars will return to action from midday on Friday.
The 2025 singles finalist and champion, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett, will take to court 2 in succession, facing Stéphane Houdet and Zhenxu Ji respectively. The doubles semi-finals will then be contested on the same court, not before 3:30pm.
Over on court 3, beginning at 1pm, wild-card draw winner Guilhem Laget will attempt to pull off a major upset against Argentine legend Gustavo Fernandez. He will be followed by defending doubles champion Martin De La Puente, who takes on Tom Egberink, a player who will become his doubles partner later in the day.