The pair were seen taking to the practice court at the Shanghai Masters earlier in October – a tournament Alcaraz bowed out of at the quarter-final stage.

Now back in Paris after a Roland Garros title and a silver medal at the Olympics, Alcaraz stands as the hot favourite for the title.

Jannik Sinner’s Paris withdrawal will stop him from winning third consecutive masters event, but in tow will allow now top seed Alcaraz a smoother route to the title.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals ‘unbelievable’ experience with Roger Federer

The pair literally and figuratively hit it off in Shanghai, teaming up to warm up on the practice courts.

With Alcaraz eventually outplayed in the quarter-final by Tomas Machac, the world was both denied another hotly anticipated clash between him and Jannik Sinner – just weeks after their brilliant Beijing final.

Sparring with Federer on the practice courts behind the scenes gave tennis fans a glimpse of what could have been.

“It was an unbelievable experience for me [playing with him in Shanghai],” Alcaraz told Eurosport. “Having the chance to play with him, it was great. I just enjoyed so much, every shot, watching him playing the shots so easily. It was a dream. It was a great experience.

“I had the chance to talk a lot with him, ask him some questions about when he was playing. It was a masterclass honestly from him.”

How is Carlos Alcaraz playing at the Paris Masters?

Spain’s Alcaraz opened his campaign at the Paris Masters on Tuesday with a comprehensive 7-5, 6-1 win over Chile’s Nicolas Jarry – a player he’d lost to in the past.

After receiving a bye through the first round, Alcaraz shot to a 3-0 lead in the opener but was reigned back in by Jarry.

Upping the intensity, Jarry couldn’t keep up, earning just one game in the second. A relieved Alcaraz claimed the win was ‘complicated’, perhaps suggesting the scoreline didn’t tell the full story.

Into the round of 16, Alcaraz is set to play either home favorite Ugo Humbert, or America’s Marcos Giron.

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