Alexander Zverev began his tenure as world No. 1 with 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.”
He was followed out of the tournament by record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to qualifier Rinky Hijikata of Australia.
Seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz avoided such problems and overcame a slow start with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over American Alex Michelsen.
The 23-year-old Alcaraz extended his winning streak to six matches and will face Matteo Berrettini in the next round.
Djokovic’s Exit
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 15-22 November event in Turin.
Zverev Reflects on Defeat
The imposing German said he should have done much better on such a rapid court, which suited his aggressive stroke play.
“The court was very, very fast,” he said. “I actually think that this is the court that it should be.”
Zverev moved to the top ranking on Monday, capping a fine season in which he won the first two Grand Slam titles of his career at the French Open and the US Open.
Despite those successes, the 29-year-old Zverev sounded agitated and said he felt “a bit annoyed” about what he perceives as not receiving enough credit compared with 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.”
Zverev looked out of sorts throughout against Musetti. The mercurial Italian clinched victory with an ace in a one-sided contest in which he recorded more winners (29-25) and fewer unforced errors (12-21) than Zverev.
Other Results
In other second-round play, three-time US 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 through 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.