ATP Paris Masters 2023 odds: Djokovic could prove difficult to stop

The final Masters 1000 event of the 2023 ATP World Tour season begins in Bercy, Paris, on Monday where US Open champ Novak Djokovic is the hot favourite to win the Paris Masters as he returns to action for the first time since winning his 24th Grand Slam in New York.

Djokovic is joined towards the head of the market by Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, who is bidding to win his first title since Wimbledon, while former champion Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner are among those to watch.

Novak Djokovic to win ATP Paris Masters @ 2/1

Novak Djokovic has not been seen in competitive action since his Flushing Meadows win but the super Serb can shrug off any rust to justify favouritism by claiming the Paris Masters for a remarkable seventh time.

Boris Becker and Marat Safin both won three titles at Bercy's Accor Arena, but nobody has dominated this tournament quite like Djokovic, who also has the remarkable distinction of having won each Masters 1000 title on more than one occasion.

The 36-year-old added to his legendary status with a 24th Grand Slam win at the US Open, before skipping the Shanghai Masters, taking plenty of time off before Paris and a crack at the ATP Finals title in Turin in two week's time.

That preparation might not work for some but Djokovic had no issues doing just that in 2021, losing out in the US Open final then coming back several weeks later to avenge his defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the Paris showpiece, so he knows how to ready himself for this test.

Djokovic is the clear one to beat, particularly given the question marks over some of his chief rivals including Alcaraz, who has struggled in recent tournaments, exiting at the last-16 stage in Shanghai.

Medvedev and Sinner, who faced off in the Vienna Open final on Sunday, are in better shape but their decisions to compete in Austria could bring fatigue into play, particularly as a long season nears its conclusion.

Djokovic is on course to meet Ben Shelton in the last 16 in Paris before a potential rematch with Holger Rune, who defeated him in the final last season, but his draw looks easier than those of Alcaraz and Medvedev, who are both in the bottom half.

Alexander Zverev to win ATP Paris Masters @ 25/1

Despite Djokovic's relative dominance, there have been some shock winners of the Paris title in recent seasons with Jack Sock triumphing in 2017 while Karen Khachanov powered his way to the trophy the following season.

If there is to be a winner at bigger odds, it looks likely to come from a competitive bottom half where Alexander Zverev stands to profit from a relatively kind draw.

The German suffered first-round defeats in Shanghai and Tokyo but he was in better form in Vienna last week, losing out to Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals, and it's not long since he won a title in Chengdu before reaching the Beijing semis.

Zverev opens up against a qualifier before a potential meeting with Ugo Humbert and while the Frenchman will be competitive in front of a home crowd, Zverev would likely still be the favourite for that contest.

The 26-year-old lost out to Medvedev in the Paris final in 2020 then reached the semi-finals in 2021, so he knows he has what it takes to go deep in the French capital.