Alexander Zverev’s first week as the No. 1 player in men’s tennis ended in disappointment, as he suffered a 7-6 (5), 6-2 defeat to Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I was bad. It’s quite simple,” Zverev said. “This was not a very good match for me, I think maybe one of the worst in the last couple of months.”
Zverev looked out of sorts throughout against Musetti. The mercurial Italian closed out the victory with an ace in a one-sided contest. Musetti hit more winners (29-25) and committed fewer unforced errors (12-21) than Zverev.
Djokovic Falls to Qualifier
Zverev was not the only top name to exit early. Novak Djokovic, the record seven-time champion of the tournament, followed him out with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 loss to qualifier Rinky Hijikata of Australia.
The 10th-seeded Djokovic looked in control against Hijikata but lost three straight games from 3-3 in the second set. He remonstrated with his team at the start of the third set and dropped his serve in the seventh game. The 24-time major winner was broken again and lost the match when his backhand landed wide.
Djokovic needed to reach the semifinals to stand a chance of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals later this month. Only two spots remain for the Nov. 15-22 event in Turin.
The imposing German said he should have done much better on such a rapid court, one suited to his aggressive stroke play.
“The court was very, very fast,” Zverev said. “I actually think that this is the court that it should be.”
Alcaraz Advances
Carlos Alcaraz, also a seven-time major winner, avoided those problems. He overcame a slow start to beat American Alex Michelsen 7-6 (4), 6-3.
The 23-year-old Alcaraz extended his winning streak to six matches and will face Matteo Berrettini in the next round.
Tiafoe and Medvedev Also Lose
In other second-round action, three-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, seeded No. 7, wasted four match points in a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (9) loss to Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Tiafoe’s defeat sent Arthur Fils to the ATP Finals. He is the first Frenchman to reach the event since Gael Monfils in 2016.
Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev lost 6-4, 6-4 to Ignacio Buse.
Zverev Defends His Status
Zverev moved to the top ranking on Monday, capping a fine season that saw him win the first two Grand Slam titles of his career at the French Open and the U.S. Open.
Despite those successes, the 29-year-old Zverev sounded agitated and said he felt “a bit annoyed” about what he perceives as not getting enough credit compared to others.
“The No. 1 status is something that I think every player dreams of,” he said. “But then I feel like I’m the only world No. 1 in tennis history that has to explain why it’s okay for me to be world No. 1, which I find quite difficult because I think I deserve to be where I am.”