After his victory, Novak Djokovic expressed his bafflement at Matthew Ebden’s inclusion in the men’s singles in Paris.
Ebden hadn’t had a singles ranking since he was No. 970 the week of May 29, 2023.
But he was already in Paris to compete in men’s doubles and so that made him available for the singles competition when 16th-ranked Holger Rune of Denmark pulled out because of a wrist injury.
“I really don’t understand the rules. They’re really not logical for me,” Djokovic said.
“I don’t think it’s a good image for the sport, to be honest. There were a lot of singles players that had plenty of time, that were alternates, that could have been called to come. This part I don’t get.”
