Zverev’s World No. 1 Reign Begins With Shock Paris Masters Exit, Djokovic Also Crashes Out

Alexander Zverev’s much-anticipated start as the World No. 1 in men’s tennis turned into a disappointing outing as he suffered a shock second-round defeat to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Paris Masters on Wednesday. The upset was followed by another major surprise, with Novak Djokovic also crashing out after losing to Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata.

Zverev, who took over the top ranking on Monday, was beaten 7-6 (5), 6-2 by Musetti in a match that left the German visibly frustrated. Reflecting on his performance, the 29-year-old admitted he had played poorly, describing it as one of his worst outings in recent months.

“ Yeah, I was bad. It’s quite simple,” Zverev said, acknowledging that he had failed to make the most of a fast court that he believed suited his aggressive playing style.

Despite winning the French Open and US Open earlier this season to claim the first two Grand Slam titles of his career, Zverev also expressed frustration over what he felt was a lack of recognition for his achievements. He said becoming world No. 1 was a dream for every player but felt he was being forced to justify why he deserved the position.

Musetti produced an impressive performance, hitting 29 winners against Zverev’s 25 while committing fewer unforced errors. He sealed the victory with an ace to complete a convincing win.

Record seven-time Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic was also stunned, suffering a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Australian qualifier Hijikata. The 24-time Grand Slam champion initially looked comfortable after taking the opening set but gradually lost control. Hijikata won three consecutive games from 3-3 in the second set before completing the comeback in the decider.

The defeat dealt a significant blow to Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals, scheduled from November 15 to 22 in Turin, Italy. He needed to reach the Paris Masters semifinals to remain in contention for one of the two remaining qualification spots.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz avoided the upset trend, defeating American Alex Michelsen 7-6 (4), 6-3 despite a slow start. The Spaniard extended his winning streak to six matches and will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the next round.

Elsewhere, American Frances Tiafoe squandered four match points before losing to France’s Quentin Halys in a deciding-set tie-break. Tiafoe’s defeat secured Arthur Fils’ qualification for the ATP Finals, making him the first Frenchman to reach the season-ending tournament since Gael Monfils in 2016.

Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev also exited after suffering a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Ignacio Buse, adding to a dramatic day of unexpected results in Paris.