Tennis essentials for 27 October: Paris wild-cards, Basel farewells, Zverev near the summit

A week before the Paris Masters, the French federation has revealed its wild-cards and set the date for Gaël Monfils’s farewell. Meanwhile Stan Wawrinka begins the final tournament of a 23-year career in Basel, and Alexander Zverev closes in on the world No 1 spot.

Gilles Simon settles into his FFT role

First public words from Gilles Simon since his appointment as the federation’s director of high performance: on Tuesday, at the national training centre in Paris. He spoke mostly about Gaël Monfils, retired from the tour since early October. “I am simply sad for my friend in particular, but also for the athlete, the player, who cannot finish the way he would have wanted to finish,” he told L’Équipe, recalling that Monfils wanted to play until 40, an age he reached at the US Open. Our report sums up the outing.

Paris Masters: four wild-cards, all French

For the last Masters 1000 of the season, from 31 October to 8 November at the Arena in Nanterre, the organisers have invited four Frenchmen into the main draw: Titouan Droguet, Arthur Géa, Quentin Halys and Kyrian Jacquet. In qualifying, the wild-cards go to Moïse Kouamé, 17, Félix Balshaw, Benjamin Bonzi and Hugo Gaston. The draw takes place on 30 October at 6.30pm. Our report lists the eight invitations.

Monfils celebrated on 3 November, Auger-Aliassime out

After Monday’s Twitch live, Gaël Monfils knows how he will say goodbye: with a ceremony on 3 November at the Paris Masters, alongside the evening session. The Parisian promised “a big show”. The main draw loses its 2025 finalist, though: Félix Auger-Aliassime, still hampered by his left knee, has withdrawn and will drop out of the top 10.

Venus Williams: the losing run goes on

In Guangzhou, Venus Williams, 46, lost her opener to Austria’s Lilli Tagger, 18 and ranked 53: 6-2, 6-2. That is a 16th straight defeat in singles, and a full 15 months without a win, the last one dating back to July 2025 in Washington. The 28-year age gap is the widest of a WTA match this decade, according to the BBC, and the Chinese crowd gave her an ovation as she left the court. Our report keeps the run up to date.

Osaka opens Tokyo in style

Naomi Osaka wanted to bring “a bit of a show” to the Pan Pacific Open, her first tournament in Tokyo for four years. At 29, the Japanese played in a kimono-inspired outfit, blue and white, embroidered with a crane, then handled Italy’s Jasmine Paolini: 6-3, 7-6 (4), three set points saved along the way and seven aces to her opponent’s one. She meets Mia Pohankova in the second round.

In Basel, Stan Wawrinka’s final week

Stan Wawrinka is playing the last tournament of a 23-year career in Basel, and the city has already said goodbye: on Monday evening, a personalised song and a standing ovation. He faces Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday night in what could be his last match. On Sunday Novak Djokovic trained with him, with neither giving anything away: “Enjoy this last ride,” the Serb told him, himself entered in the same draw. A farewell evening is planned for 19 December in Geneva with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Gaël Monfils. Wawrinka looks back at his place in the era of the Big 3.

Vienna: Zverev one rung from the throne

Alexander Zverev, this season’s winner at Roland Garros and the US Open, will become world No 1 for the first time by the end of the season. To dethrone Jannik Sinner, out since his Wimbledon title, as early as Monday, he must reach the semi-finals of the Vienna Open. Carlos Alcaraz, in town on a wild card, opened against Karen Khachanov.