Ugo Humbert outlasts Karen Khachanov to become first French man to reach Paris Masters final since 2011

France's Ugo Humbert advanced to the first ATP Masters 1000 final of his career on Saturday on home soil at the Rolex Paris Masters with a 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 win over former champion Karen Khachanov.

Humbert, who will face No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final, is the first Frenchman to make the singles final at the ATP Masters 1000 event since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga more than a decade ago. The former world No. 5 won the title in 2008, and was also a finalist in 2011.

The 26-year-old left-hander, winner of six previous ATP titles, said to break new ground at his "favorite event" is a "dream." Humbert won another event in France, a 250 in Metz, in February, and also triumphed at the 500-level event in Dubai a month later, but had never previously been past the quarterfinals at a 1000-level event.

This week, Humbert stunned world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round, and defeated unseeded Aussie Jordan Thompson to finally reach the semifinals at a 1000-level event. But against Khachanov, who won the Paris Masters title in 2018, Humbert had to rally from a set behind for the first time in five matches played. His comeback was aided by both a partisan Accor Arena crowd that vocally and vociferously supported him throughout the two hours and 48 minutes on court, and Khachanov fading physically.

The world No. 21, a winner in Almaty two weeks ago and a finalist in Vienna last week, took a medical timeout for a leg injury at 3-2 in the final set, was broken two games later, and saw his movement greatly hampered in the match's closing stages.

"It was a little bit difficult compared to the previous matches," Humbert said. "I felt a little more pressure and after the loss of the first set I tried to enjoy the moment and be with the crowd. I did very well and I am super proud."

Humbert, in fact, might've predicted his torrid run earlier in the week when he sat down with Prakash Amritraj on Tennis Channel after a three-set first-round win over American Brandon Nakashima.

Calling winning in Bercy "a goal" of his and the possibility "amazing," he said: "I watched Jo Tsonga here win the title, so maybe I can do it as well."

But something will have to give in Sunday's final: Humbert is 6-1 in ATP finals in his career, and has won his last 13 matches indoors in France, but lost his only hard-court meeting with Zverev—coincidentally at the Accor Arena in 2023.