Tennis

Paris Masters 2023 wildcards – who got the invite?

October 29, 2023 9:41 pm

The next edition of the Paris Masters is nearly upon us and among the best tennis players that will be competing for the title there will be some invited by the organisers to take part. As the rules allow and the tradition goes the Paris Masters wildcards were allocated several days before the start of the tournament. If you wonder what is a wildcard or who got the invite read on.

R. Gasquet scaled
(Photo by Sandra Ruhaut/Icon Sport)

What is a wildcard in tennis?

A wildcard in tennis is called an invite to take part in a certain tournament without deserving it on merit. Depending on the level of the tournament there are different criteria for who has the right to play in the main draw and the qualifiers. However, the organisers are allocated a certain number of wildcards which they decide who to give that doesn’t cover the criteria for taking part.

There are two types of wildcards in tennis. One is a wildcard directly for the main draw of the event. The other is a wildcard to take part in the qualifying tournament prior to the main event starting.

Who received a direct entry wildcard for the 2023 Paris Masters?

As is traditional the Paris Masters wildcards were distributed only between Frenchmen. This year 4 players were given wildcards for the main draw and 4 others for the qualifying rounds. Those were the chosen ones:

Benjamin Bonzi

The world number 87 Benjamin Bonzi had a rough 2023 that was also marred by injuries. His record for the year is only 15-16. Bonzi is an experienced player and he will be looking to get some wins in Paris as he wants to move back up the rankings before the year is out.

Richard Gasquet

The 37-year-old Richard Gasquet is one of the main crowd-favourite in Paris so he was always likely to get a wildcard. Gasquet comes into the tournament ranked 69 in the ATP rankings. Despite his 14-23 record this year, he won a title in 2023. That was back in January in Auckland.

Alexandre Muller

Alexander Muller played very little tennis this year. The 26-year-old has a 9-12 record in 2023 as he missed many tournaments due to an injury. Muller is the world number 84. He has the play to shine on indoor events and the fans will be backing him. The big question is in what shape he is after his health issues.

Luca van Assche

Van Assche scaled
BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS – Photo by Icon sport

The 19-year-old Van Assche is the future of French tennis and he is currently enjoying his highest-ever world ranking of 63. Van Assche is tipped to become a top-2o player as early as next year so giving him a Paris Masters wildcard to propel the projected success for the youngster was an easy decision.

2023 Paris Masters wildcards for the qualifying rounds?

There were 4 more Paris Masters wildcards distributed. They went to young and inexperienced French players who got invited to take part in the qualifying tournament. Their names are Arthur Cazaux, Hugo Gaston, Terence Atmane and Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard.

Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!