The M1000 of Paris sets the fastest tracks in nearly 20 years

The ATP Paris 2026 is leaving an absolutely surprising data point in its first days of competition. According to measurements from the CPI (Court Pace Index), the index that determines the speed of a surface, the central court of the last Masters 1000 of the season has reached extraordinary records. We are talking about one of the fastest courts in almost 20 years, which is completely inconsistent with the trend that the ATP circuit has been following recently.

The information was shared by journalist Germán Abril, who points out that, according to the official tournament data for Monday, the central court in Paris reached a CPI of 47.9. An astounding figure that makes the French tournament, by far, the fastest surface Masters 1000 of 2026, significantly surpassing the 43.3 recorded in Shanghai this year.

Central court speed @RolexPMasters yesterday: 47.9 But there were people at home saying it wasn't fast 😂 https://t.co/8xIgbisjbw

— Germán R. Abril (@gerebit0) November 3, 2026

To understand the magnitude of this number, it is enough to take a look at the records from recent years. The highest values we find are the 45.5 from Paris in 2024 and the 44.6 from Canada in 2025. Beyond those exceptions, it is common to find considerably slower surfaces, even in tournaments held on hard courts.

The ATP has requested changes for the ATP Paris edition 2026

This increase is not a coincidence. Cédric Pioline, director of the Masters 1000 in Paris, recently acknowledged at a press conference that behind the change in speed there is an imposition from the ATP for changes in the ball, which has pushed the organization to increase the speed and avoid what happened last year.

In 2025, when the tournament debuted at its new venue in La Défense Arena after leaving the historic Bercy site, the CPI plummeted to 35.1 points. That is, 10.4 points less than in 2024, when it was still held at its old location.

"This year the surface is significantly faster than last year; it is clearly noticeable. It is true that the feelings can be somewhat subjective, but we also have the players' feedback, which we receive through the ATP. We were quite surprised at how slow the courts were last year, so we requested that they be sped up. As far as we know, the players are happy, although finding the perfect balance is very complicated," Pioline explained.

The tournament director also acknowledged that the intention was to get as close as possible to the conditions of the ATP Finals: "We wanted the courts to resemble those in Turin as much as possible, especially considering the players who will participate in that tournament. Our goal was to aim for a CPI around 40. At least, that is what we requested."

However, reality has far surpassed those expectations. The record of 47.9 represents an increase of 12.8 points compared to 2025, a completely exceptional difference for a professional circuit surface.

An extremely fast court does not mean that the game is also fast

It is important to clarify a fundamental issue: the speed of the court is not the same as the actual speed of the game. The CPI measures the physical properties of the surface, especially friction and the behavior of the ball after it bounces. A less rough court may allow the ball to lose less speed after hitting the ground.

However, the feeling of gameplay also depends on other factors, particularly the balls used. And this is where an important nuance appears in this ATP Paris 2026. This season, the tournament has also switched ball suppliers, now using Dunlop. A change that, according to Pioline, is a decision made by the ATP itself.

"It is a change imposed by the ATP to ensure that the same balls are used throughout the fall tour, from Shanghai to Turin. I believe it is a good measure for the players, as it allows them to compete under more uniform conditions. Additionally, the ATP has established a system so that no tournament suffers economically from having to adopt these balls," the tournament director noted.

And it is precisely here that the difference between the speed of the surface and what is perceived during matches comes into play. Despite the enormous speed of the court, the balls seem to lose liveliness and become heavier as rallies progress, which could be partially compensating for the conditions of the surface.

In fact, the first matches are not necessarily providing that sense of uncontrolled tennis one would expect from such a fast court. Service aces are prominent, but there is also room for rallies from the baseline. The effective speed of the game seems, therefore, more moderate than what the CPI suggests.

The difference with other tournaments is even more striking. According to records from Courtspeed, both Canada and Cincinnati reduced their respective CPI in 2026. Canada dropped from 44.6 to 35.4, while Cincinnati fell from 43 to 39.

Paris has followed exactly the opposite path. And although the balls may moderate the actual speed of rallies, the data from the surface speaks for itself. The ATP Paris 2026 is being played on an exceptionally fast court, with records that are practically unprecedented in the recent history of the Masters 1000.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El M1000 de París coloca las pistas más rápidas en casi 20 años