No Federer, no Nadal, no problem. This year’s BNP Paribas Masters in Paris features a compelling alternative, one that it hasn’t often had in recent years: a tightening race for the year-end No. 1 ranking. For that we can thank Novak Djokovic, who dominated the first half of the season, and Andy Murray, who has been almost as good over the second half. Now, with two tournaments to go, they’re separated by just 415 points. It’s so close, in fact, that Murray can claim the top spot for the first time in his career if he wins Paris and Djokovic loses before the final.
Think of the next few weeks as the ATP’s version of the U.S. presidential election—without the unmitigated horror.