PARIS — Alexander Zverev’s reign as the world’s No. 1 in men’s tennis took a disappointing turn as he faced off against Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday, ultimately suffering a 7-6 (5), 6-2 defeat that left him less than pleased with his performance.
“Honestly, I didn’t play well. It’s that simple,” Zverev lamented. “It was not a great match for me; perhaps one of the worst I’ve had in the last couple of months.”
Zverev wasn’t the only star to exit early, as record-breaking seven-time champion Novak Djokovic also fell victim to the upset, losing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata.
Despite being the 10th seed and initially appearing in control, Djokovic faltered after leading 3-3 in the second set, dropping three consecutive games. He expressed frustration to his team at the beginning of the third set and failed to hold his serve in the seventh game; ultimately, a wayward backhand sealed his fate.
In a crucial moment for Djokovic, who needed to reach the semifinals to maintain his hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals later this month, his exit means only two qualifying spots remain for the prestigious event set for Nov. 15-22 in Turin.
Later in the day, seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz squared off against American Alex Michelsen.
The towering German Zverev remarked that he should have capitalized better on the fast playing surface which typically complements his aggressive style.
“The court was incredibly fast,” he noted. “It’s exactly the kind of surface I thrive on.”
Freshly crowned as the top-ranked player on Monday, Zverev completed a remarkable season that included clinching his first two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and U.S. Open.
Despite his achievements, the 29-year-old Zverev appeared visibly upset, feeling he hasn’t received adequate recognition compared to his peers.
“Holding the No. 1 ranking is a dream for every player,” he expressed. “Yet, I feel like I’m the only World No. 1 in history who has to defend why I am where I am, which is pretty challenging because I genuinely believe I’ve earned my place.”
Zverev struggled noticeably throughout the match against Musetti.
Musetti sealed his victory with an ace in a match where he registered more winners (29-25) and fewer unforced errors (12-21) than Zverev.
In another second-round match, three-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, seeded No. 7, had a dramatic exit, squandering four match points in a narrow 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (9) loss to Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Tiafoe’s defeat paved the way for Arthur Fils to qualify for the ATP Finals, making him the first French player to do so since Gael Monfils in 2016.
Additionally, fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev suffered a surprising loss, going down 6-4, 6-4 to Ignacio Buse.
