The 2019 BNP Paribas Masters draw was revealed on Friday and the top three men are all still scheduled to play. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic leads the way as the top seed, while Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are on a collision course for the semifinals in the bottom half.
Nadal has not played an ATP tournament since winning the U.S. Open, instead taking time off–aside from the Laver Cup–to nurse a wrist/hand issue and to get married. The Spaniard can clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking with a title in Paris, but he has never lifted the trophy at this event.
In fact, Nadal has played the Paris Masters only six times and has not completed it since 2015 (he withdrew prior to the quarterfinals in his only appearance since then in 2017). At the end of a long year, it is always rare for almost all of the best players in the world to be healthy and ready to go for the final tournament of the proverbial regular season. This time around, however, the Big 3 are also joined in the field by Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, and defending champion Karen Khachanov. Of the top 17 men in the world, only Kei Nishikori (elbow injury) is missing.
That means all eight players currently in Nitto ATP Finals position are in Paris. Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Medvedev, Thiem, and Tsitsipas have clinched spots. Zverev and Berrettini are both looking good in seventh and eighth place, respectively. Roberto Bautista Agut is within realistic striking distance but must reach at least the Paris quarters.
If the seeds hold to form, quarterfinal matchups would be Djokovic vs. Tsitsipas, Medvedev vs. Thiem, Federer vs. Zverev, and Nadal vs. Khachanov.
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