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Fighting it out for top spot
Everything leads me to believe that we're going to be treated to some top quality matches. At the start of every new season we cross our fingers that the BNP Paribas Masters will have plenty at stake, and this year, there are so many things that could happen during the tournament. The No.1 spot in the world rankings will be decided over the last two tournaments of the year, with 2,000 points separating Rafael Nadal, who is currently No.1, and Novak Djokovic. With the BNP Paribas Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals in London, there are 2,500 points up for grabs. If Nadal should slip up and Djokovic play the way he did at the end at the end of the 2012 when he won in London, it could all change.

Nadal looking to finish off with a bang
I've been in contact with Rafa's entourage. He's delighted to be No.1 in the world but he's even more determined to finish the year in top spot, which would crown a wonderful season for him. He's played 15 tournaments, made 13 finals and won 10 titles! And of course he's yet to win the BNP Paribas Masters. If he managed it this year, it would be his 27th ATP Masters 1000 title and his sixth of the season, which would be a record.

Who will be making the journey with him from Paris to London?
It's going to be a battle royal for the remaining spots in the Race to London. Roger Federer hasn't yet qualified, and his fellow Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka is actually ahead of him, with Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga their closest challengers. There are so many good players separated by so few points, and each time one of them plays, the stakes will be really high!

French players hoping to shine
As far as the French contingent is concerned there are seven players who have gained direct acceptance into the main draw – a remarkable feat considering how high the standards are at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. And they're all coming to Paris on the back of some good form, with three of them – Gasquet, Tsonga and Gilles Simon – seeded.

Identical playing conditions
As was already the case last year, the playing conditions – namely the balls and the surface – will be identical to those at the ATP World Tour Finals de London and should therefore suit all players. With the end-of-season "Masters" being so close, there was no way that we could make conditions any quicker, though it's something that we will be thinking about in the future since there will be a week's break between the BNP Paribas Masters and London in 2014.

Our thanks to our partners and our fans
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners and in particular BNP Paribas, who have shown us real loyalty in what are difficult circumstances. And I would also like to express our gratitude to the fans, who have been equally loyal. Last year, 134,000 spectators came to the tournament and we have already sold 110,000 tickets this time around, so we are hoping for similar – if not better – overall attendance figures. In terms of world TV viewing figures, we were up 20% in 2012.