Paris Masters: Géa, Droguet, Halys and Jacquet handed main draw wild cards

The Rolex Paris Masters handed out its wild cards on Tuesday, and all eight went to French players. Arthur Géa, 21 and ranked 44th, goes straight into the main draw of the last Masters 1000 of the season at the Plénitude Arena in Nanterre, from 2 to 8 November, joined by Titouan Droguet, Quentin Halys and Kyrian Jacquet. Qualifying runs over 31 October and 1 November.

Géa’s autumn made the case

Géa sat just outside direct entry in the ATP list of 26 October. His title in Los Cabos, a fourth-round run at the US Open and a quarter-final in Shanghai, with wins over Ben Shelton and Jakub Mensik, settled the discussion; that quarter-final ended in a retirement, an adductor injury against Davidovich Fokina. The invitations came from Gilles Moretton, president of the French federation, and tournament director Cédric Pioline.

Droguet and Jacquet get a first taste, Halys a third try

Droguet (25, ranked 72nd) and Jacquet (25, 79th) play a Paris main draw for the first time. Halys, 30 and ranked 45th, is back for a third appearance and has never won a match there, going out in his opener in 2022 and again in 2024.

Gaston and Bonzi go through qualifying

The other four cards cover the qualifying draw. Hugo Gaston (26, 110th), a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2021, and Benjamin Bonzi (30, 99th), through to the second round in 2020, meet Moïse Kouame, 17 and ranked 176th, and Félix Balshaw, 20 and 178th, both tournament debutants.

With Arthur Fils, Ugo Humbert, Arthur Rinderknech and Luca Van Assche already in the main draw on ranking, at least eight Frenchmen will line up in Nanterre. The draw takes place on Friday 30 October at 6.30pm. In wheelchair tennis, the invitation goes to Guilhem Laget, 28 and ranked 30th.