Djokovic becomes oldest Paris Masters match winner with Vacherot comeback

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Novak Djokovic became the oldest player to win a match at the Paris Masters after recovering to beat Valentin Vacherot 6–7(5), 7–5, 6–1 on Tuesday. The 39-year-old’s first-round victory kept him in contention for a place at this month’s ATP Finals.

The seven-time Paris champion needed two hours and 35 minutes to overcome the newly crowned Basel winner. It was Djokovic’s first appearance at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2023, and his 51st match victory at the event.

Vacherot’s serve made the opening stages difficult for the 10th seed. The Monegasque struck 22 aces during the match and took a first set in which neither player lost serve, winning the tie-break after Djokovic had led 5–3.

Djokovic then fell a break behind at the start of the second set before recovering to 2–2. At 4–4, he saved three break points that would have given Vacherot the chance to serve for the match. Instead, Djokovic held on and broke at 6–5 to force a deciding set.

The Serbian established a double-break advantage in the third set and completed the turnaround on his second match point. The result ended his longest losing sequence at Masters 1000 level, a run of four consecutive defeats.

Vacherot had won their only previous meeting, in the 2025 Shanghai Masters semi-finals, on his way to that title. He arrived in Paris after five successive tour-level victories and Sunday’s Basel final win over Jiri Lehecka.

Djokovic will next meet Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is still chasing qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin, which run from 15–22 November, and has said he intends to play if he earns a place.

Sources

• Rolex Paris Masters: Djokovic’s comeback keeps Turin hopes alive
• Tennis Majors: Djokovic sets Paris age record and ends Masters losing run (2026-11-03)
• Reuters: Djokovic becomes Paris’s oldest match winner and stays in Finals contention