The Rolex Paris Masters is one of the standout stops on the ATP Tour calendar: a high-stakes indoor event where the world’s best male players fight for a prestigious Masters 1000 title and crucial ranking points just before the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.(ATP Tour)
Held in Nanterre, just west of central Paris, the tournament is staged at Paris La Défense Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, with a capacity of more than 16,000 fans on the main court and over 20,000 spectators across all courts.(Paris La Défense Arena)
Whether you are a tennis fan planning a trip or a blogger looking to cover the event, this guide walks you through everything you need to know about the Rolex Paris Masters.
What is the Rolex Paris Masters?
The Rolex Paris Masters (often called simply the Paris Masters) is an annual men’s professional tennis tournament and part of the ATP Masters 1000 series – the nine most important events on the ATP Tour below the Grand Slams.(Wikipédia)
Key facts:
- Category: ATP Masters 1000 (men’s only).(Wikipédia)
- Format: Indoor hard court, 56-player singles draw plus doubles.(Wikipédia)
- Position in the season: Last Masters 1000 of the year and usually the final major event before the ATP Finals.(Wikipédia)
Because of its timing, the Rolex Paris Masters often decides the last spots for the year-end championships, making it one of the most dramatic weeks on tour.
When does the Rolex Paris Masters take place?
The Rolex Paris Masters is traditionally scheduled in late October and early November.(Wikipédia)
Recent examples:
- 2025 edition: 25 October – 2 November 2025.(Paris La Défense)
- 2026 edition: 31 October – 8 November 2026, according to the official tournament website.(rolexparismasters.com)
The tournament is structured in day and evening sessions throughout the week, with early rounds heavily packed and the weekend reserved for semi-finals and finals.(rolexparismasters.com)
Where is the Rolex Paris Masters played?
From Bercy to La Défense: a new era
For decades, the tournament was closely associated with Accor Arena (often called “Bercy Arena”), an indoor venue in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, where it was hosted from 1986 to 2024.(Wikipédia)
Accor Arena could welcome around 15,000 fans in tennis configuration and became famous for its steep stands and electric atmosphere.(Wikipédia)
From 2025 onward, the Rolex Paris Masters moved to Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, a modern multi-purpose indoor stadium in the La Défense business district.(L’Équipe)
Paris La Défense Arena offers:
- A central court of around 16,500 seats, plus multiple side courts.(Paris La Défense Arena)
- Ultra-modern sound, lighting and giant screens designed to create an immersive show.(Sport Buzz Business)
- Increased total capacity compared with Bercy, allowing the event to welcome approximately 23,000 spectators across all courts.(Fédération Française de Tennis)
The move was driven by ATP requirements on venue size and infrastructure and by the French Tennis Federation’s wish to modernise and grow the tournament.(Fédération Française de Tennis)
A brief history of the Rolex Paris Masters
The event traces its roots back to the Paris Open and the French Covered Court Championships, with the modern Masters tournament established in 1969.(Wikipédia)
Key historical milestones:
- 1969–1982: Played at Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris.(Wikipédia)
- 1986–2024: Hosted at Bercy (Accor Arena), becoming synonymous with “Paris-Bercy” on the ATP calendar.(Wikipédia)
- Since 2025: Staged at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre.(L’Équipe)
The surface has always been indoor, first on carpet (generally very fast) and, since 2007, on indoor hard courts with a medium-slow pace closer to the rest of the tour.(Wikipédia)
By 2025, the tournament had been held 53 times, making it one of the longest-running events on the ATP Masters 1000 circuit.(Wikipédia)
Legendary champions and recent winners
Because it is the final big event of the season, the Rolex Paris Masters often produces high-quality tennis and memorable storylines.
According to ATP and tournament records, Novak Djokovic is the most successful player in Paris with seven titles and nine finals, owning many of the tournament’s records for matches played and matches won.(Wikipédia)
Some notable recent champions include:
- Jannik Sinner (2025) – The Italian won his first Rolex Paris Masters title by defeating Félix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets (6–4, 7–6) and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking with this victory.(Reuters)
- Alexander Zverev (2024) – Zverev beat Ugo Humbert 6–2, 6–2 in the final, becoming the first German champion in Paris since Boris Becker in 1992.(Wikipédia)
- Novak Djokovic (2023 & 2021) – Djokovic added to his record tally with multiple titles over the last decade, underlining his dominance indoors.(ATP Tour)
- Holger Rune (2022) and Daniil Medvedev (2020) are other recent winners, showcasing the event’s blend of established stars and rising talents.(ATP Tour)
Because the Rolex Paris Masters is the last Masters 1000 of the year, players often arrive under pressure to qualify for Turin or to fight for the year-end No. 1, which regularly produces upset-filled draws and emotional finals.(ATP Tour)
Why the Rolex Paris Masters is unique
Several factors make the Rolex Paris Masters stand out on the ATP Tour:
- The only indoor Masters 1000
It is the sole ATP Masters 1000 tournament played entirely indoors, giving it a distinct playing style and atmosphere compared with outdoor events like Indian Wells, Miami or Shanghai.(Wikipédia) - Late-season drama
Because it comes right before the ATP Finals, the tournament is often decisive for Race to Turin qualification and ranking battles at the top of the game.(ATP Tour) - Modern show court and production
Paris La Défense Arena uses advanced lighting, sound and screen technology to create a spectacle closer to a concert experience, with a huge central court and multiple side courts set up in a single indoor bowl.(Sport Buzz Business) - Parisian flair
The event combines high-level tennis with the cultural appeal of Paris, attracting international fans who often combine sessions at the arena with sightseeing in the French capital.(Tennis Tribe)
What is the format of the tournament week?
The Rolex Paris Masters follows a standard Masters 1000 structure, compressed into nine days:
- Qualifying: Typically held over the first weekend, where lower-ranked players compete for main draw spots.(rolexparismasters.com)
- Main draw early rounds: First and second rounds from Monday to Wednesday, with day and night sessions on the main court.(rolexparismasters.com)
- Round of 16: Usually played on Thursday.(BILD)
- Quarter-finals: Friday.(BILD)
- Semi-finals: Saturday.(rolexparismasters.com)
- Finals: Sunday, with the doubles final followed by the singles final on the central court.(rolexparismasters.com)
The schedule can slightly vary from year to year, but the general pattern remains the same.
How to get tickets for the Rolex Paris Masters
Tickets are mainly sold via:
- The official Rolex Paris Masters website, offering single-session tickets (day, night and day+night) and multi-day packages (e.g. 2-day, 4-day and 7-day passes).(Tennis Tribe)
- Official partners and authorised resellers, including ticket-plus-hotel packages for international visitors.(MyComm)
In recent editions, the tournament has also promoted special early-bird discounts, particularly on combined day+night or multi-day packs, when sales open months in advance.(Paris La Défense)
Because some evening sessions and weekend rounds can sell out quickly – especially when big names play – booking early is strongly recommended.
Getting to Paris La Défense Arena
One of the strengths of the new venue is its connectivity. The Rolex Paris Masters website and local transport operators emphasise that Paris La Défense Arena sits in the heart of the La Défense transport hub, with access to:(news.rolexparismasters.com)
- Metro: Line 1 (La Défense).
- RER: Lines A and E.
- Tram: Line T2.
- Suburban trains: Lines L and U.
- Numerous bus routes, plus dedicated taxi and ride-share drop-off points.(news.rolexparismasters.com)
Around 15,000 parking spaces are available in nearby car parks for visitors arriving by car, although both the arena and public authorities recommend using public transport due to traffic and event-day restrictions.(Paris La Défense Arena)
What is the atmosphere like?
Historically, Bercy was known for its intimate feel and loud, knowledgeable crowd. Eurosport and other outlets have noted that the big challenge for Paris La Défense Arena is to preserve that “soul” while offering a more spacious and high-tech environment.(actu-tennis.fr)
Early reports from the first editions at La Défense highlight:
- A huge central court, with steep stands that still keep fans relatively close to the action.(Tennis Temple)
- Multiple side courts placed side-by-side with acoustic curtains, creating a compact indoor “tennis village”.(Tennis Temple)
- A light and sound production closer to a concert than a traditional tennis event, especially during night sessions.(Sport Buzz Business)
For visitors, this means a very different experience from an outdoor summer tournament: no weather worries, a darkened arena, dynamic lighting, and a crowd that can get extremely loud during key moments.
Why the Rolex Paris Masters matters
For players, the Rolex Paris Masters is:
- A chance to win a Masters 1000 title on indoor hard courts.(Wikipédia)
- Often the last opportunity to qualify for or improve seeding at the Nitto ATP Finals.(ATP Tour)
- A key preparation for the unique conditions of high-pressure indoor tennis.(ATP Tour)
For fans, it offers:
- The best male players in the world in a single week.(ATP Tour)
- A high-energy indoor show in one of Europe’s most modern arenas.(Paris La Défense Arena)
- The chance to combine world-class tennis with a trip to Paris.
With its new home at Paris La Défense Arena, the Rolex Paris Masters is entering a fresh chapter while keeping its identity as the ultimate indoor climax of the ATP season.