Paris Masters 2022 draw: Novak Djokovic's projected path to final ft. potential blockbuster SF clash with Rafael Nadal

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic enters the 2022 Paris Masters as the defending champion. The Serb will be entering the tournament on the back of two consecutive title-winning runs in Tel Aviv and Astana.

The 21-time major champion is by far the most decorated player in the history of the Paris Masters. The Serb has the most titles (6) and most match wins (41) in the Masters 1000 event.

Djokovic has also contested seven finals, which is a tournament record. Apart from this, he also holds the record for the three most consecutive titles, three most consecutive finals, 49 most matches played, and 17 most consecutive matches won.

Given his superlative record in the tournament, it is safe to say that Djokovic is one of the heavy favorites for the title even though he has not played a lot of tennis since his Wimbledon triumph. Additionally, he comes into the competition fresh off his Watergen Open title win, which unquestionably gives him the upper hand.

On that note, here's a detailed look at the Serb's path to the final of the 2022 Paris Masters:

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Novak Djokovic's 1st-round opponent - Bye

Novak Djokovic was given a bye in the first round due to his seeding.

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Novak Djokovic's likely 2nd round opponent - Diego Schwartzman/Maxime Cressy

The first player Djokovic will face in Paris will be either Diego Schwartzman or Maxime Cressy. While Djokovic hasn't faced Cressy before, he holds a 7-0 head-to-head edge over Schwartzman. It will be intriguing to see what Cressy has in store for the Serb, however, regardless of what it is, the former World No. 1 is likely to cruise into the third round.

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Novak Djokovic's likely 3rd round opponent - Karen Khachanov/Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner has been playing well lately, making it to the quarterfinals of three Grand Slam events this year: the US Open, the Australian Open, and the Wimbledon Championships. However, the Italian is 0-2 in his head-to-head meetings with Djokovic; his most recent loss occurred in the Wimbledon quarterfinals this year.

Meanwhile, Djokovic leads Karen Khachanov 6-1 in their head-to-head matchup. The Russian also hasn't been in great shape lately, with the exception of making it to the US Open semifinals.

Hence, although Sinner could prove to be a hurdle on his way, Djokovic still has a big chance of advancing from this round if he is at the top of his game.

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Novak Djokovic's likely quarterfinal opponent - Casper Ruud/Marin Cilic

Casper Ruud is projected to meet Novak Djokovic in the last eight. The Norwegian is having an amazing year, reaching the US Open and French Open finals. However, since his final appearance at Flushing Meadows, he hasn't performed well in the small tournaments. Despite that, Ruud cannot be counted out given the quality he possesses.

Marin Cilic, meanwhile, doesn't hold an advantage in the head-to-head record with Djokovic as the Serb is leading by a large margin of 19-2. The two recently squared off in the Tel Aviv Open finals, with the Serb defeating the Croatian to win the title.

That being said, Djokovic doesn't have a very difficult round to get through in order to advance to the semifinals, where his old rival Rafael Nadal might be waiting for him.

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Novak Djokovic's likely semifinal opponent - Rafael Nadal/Stefanos Tsitsipas

Rafael Nadal will pursue his first title at the indoor hardcourt event while Novak Djokovic aims for his seventh. In their head-to-head record, the Serb now leads 30-29, and the Spaniard would be gunning to make it even. Their last clash came at this year's French Open, where Nadal emerged as the winner after a hard-fought four-set match.

This is by far the most interesting matchup of the last Masters tournament of the year as the two formidable foes have a chance of locking horns with each other once again.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has had an inconsistent year, with the Serb currently leading 8-2 in the head-to-head. They recently locked horns in the Astana Open final, where the Serb won in straight sets.

While both Tsitsipas and Nadal are formidable opponents and might make it difficult for Djokovic to advance, if the Serb performs well enough, he will secure himself a place in the summit clash.

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Novak Djokovic's likely final opponent - Carlos Alcaraz/Daniil Medvedev

If Djokovic manages to reach the summit clash yet again, he could find himself facing either World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or the 2022 Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz is in the form of his life, winning five titles this season, including his maiden Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open. He is also one of the very few players to hold a head-to-head advantage (1-0) over Djokovic. Earlier this year, they competed in the Madrid Open, where the young Spaniard came out on top.

On the other hand, the 35-year-old leads 7-4 in the head-to-head record against Daniil Medvedev. The duo recently clashed in the semifinals of the Astana Open, where the Russian retired mid-match due to an injury.

Medvedev has competed admirably in a number of smaller competitions, besides reaching the Australian Open final in January. His injury will be the main issue that will worry him coming into the match against Djokovic.

Both Alcaraz and Medvedev need to bring their best game against Djokovic if they are to stop the 21-time Grand Slam winner from lifting the Paris Masters trophy for the seventh time.