Asked about Novak Djokovic’s first-round meeting with Valentin Vacherot at the Rolex Paris Masters, the tournament director Cedric Pioline called it “a magnificent, magnificent match-up.” Then he delivered a message to the crowd: this could be one of the last chances to see the record champion in Paris.

“I think the message is: let’s make the most of it,” Pioline said on Friday. “Let’s make the most of Novak, because if it’s not his last appearance here, it’s maybe his second-to-last. Our record holder, seven wins at the Rolex Paris Masters, and, no need to say it, 24 Grand Slam wins.”

Djokovic returns after two years away, ranked No. 12 and seeded No. 10, outside the top eight who get a first-round bye. “A small quirk that can’t have happened to him in a very long time,” Pioline said at the draw ceremony. “That means he’ll play his first round on Monday or Tuesday.”

Road to the ATP Finals

Pioline expects a test from the start. “There’s never an easy round, but probably a difficult one, since Vacherot himself, we saw that he was a bit injured this year, came back in good form, with a lot of desire to do well,” he said. “He’s a player with a lot of quality in his game. And Novak is a little less effective than he was a few years ago, because the years are there.”

After Vacherot, Djokovic’s draw points to Luciano Darderi or a qualifier, then Alex de Minaur (No. 8) in the third round and Alexander Zverev (No. 1) in the quarterfinals.

The stakes go beyond an eighth title. Pioline noted that Djokovic has said he wants to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. He described a pack of contenders “up to 12th or 13th,” separated by “200, 300 points,” and named Djokovic among them. He also counted the Serb among the players showing nerves late in the season. “There’s a lot of nervousness, a lot at stake and a lot of desire for these players to finish in the top eight,” he said.