Novak Djokovic became the oldest match winner in Paris Masters history on Tuesday, beating Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-7(5) 7-5 6-1 in the opening round to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals, according to Reuters.
The 39-year-old, a record seven-time champion in Paris, recovered from a set and a break down to win in two hours and 35 minutes, surviving a medical timeout for a shoulder issue at 2-1 down in the second set while Vacherot later required treatment on an ankle problem.
A champion’s refusal to lose
Vacherot, the 27-year-old Monegasque, arrived on a five-match tour-level winning streak after lifting the Basel title on Sunday, and he edged a tense opening set by reeling off the last four points of the tiebreak after Djokovic squandered a 5-4 lead with a missed forehand volley at the net.
But Djokovic, as he has done so many times before, found another gear. He stretched Vacherot from corner to corner, took control of the contest and powered through the third set to complete a comeback that keeps his season alive.
The race to Turin
Djokovic is 11th in the ATP Live Race to Turin and chasing a 17th appearance at the eight-man season finale, with rising Spaniard Rafael Jódar currently occupying the final qualifying spot. With Jannik Sinner sidelined through injury and Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev already qualified, Djokovic remains in contention for the November 15-22 tournament — though he likely needs at least a semi-final run in Paris to have a realistic chance.
He will next face Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the second round on Wednesday. For a 39-year-old chasing one more trip to Turin, every match in Paris is now a final.
Age is just a number, again
Djokovic becoming the oldest Paris Masters match winner is the kind of record that sounds like trivia until you watch how he earned it: a set down, a break down, a shoulder problem, against an in-form opponent ten years younger — and he still won. The great champions do not just accumulate records; they keep finding ways to win when the body says otherwise. Turin is still a long shot, but Djokovic has made a career of long shots.
