Paris Masters Upset: Musetti Stuns Zverev
Paris Masters upset spoiled Alexander Zverev’s first match as world number one, as Lorenzo Musetti beat the German top seed 7-6(5), 6-2 in the second round on Wednesday, November 4.
The defeat came just days after Zverev lost to Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the Vienna Open semi-finals. It also ended a difficult first week at the top for the 29-year-old, who climbed to number one on Monday.
Musetti, a former world number five, took control in the opening-set tiebreak. He won six of the final seven points in that tiebreak, and then broke early in the second set to move clear.
Paris Masters upset: how Musetti won it
The 24-year-old Italian broke Zverev for a 2-1 lead in the second set, and struck again to move 5-2 ahead. He closed out the match from there, with 29 winners and eight aces in a performance that mixed clean hitting with steady serving.
The win improved Musetti’s head-to-head record against Zverev to 4-2. It also continued a resurgence for a player who has battled injuries through the 2026 season.
His toughest setback came at the Australian Open, where he retired while leading Novak Djokovic by two sets in their quarter-final. He ended a four-year wait for a title in Lyon last month, and the Paris win now ranks among his best results of the year.
Zverev, asked whether his new ranking had brought extra pressure, gave a frank answer. “I don’t know if it’s stress,” he told reporters. “I was a bit annoyed, to be honest, the last couple of days, because achieving the world number one status is something that I think every player dreams of.”
“But then I feel like I’m the only world number one in tennis history that has to explain why it’s okay for me to be world number one, which I find quite difficult, because I think I deserve to be where I am, even though I lost today,” he added.
Zverev did not specify who or what had prompted his frustration since he climbed to the top. His new status also renewed scrutiny of domestic abuse allegations made against him by two former partners, which he has repeatedly denied. A German court closed a case involving his former partner Brenda Patea after a 2024 settlement without a finding of guilt, and the ATP ended a separate investigation into allegations by Olga Sharypova in 2023, citing insufficient evidence.
Djokovic’s ATP Finals hopes ended
While Zverev lost, his fellow star suffered a bigger blow. Rinky Hijikata ended Novak Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals, beating the 24-time Grand Slam champion 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The 25-year-old Australian, ranked world number 83, turned the match around after losing the first set. Djokovic, 39, had arrived in Paris needing a deep run after early exits in Shanghai and Basel. He had also missed the last two editions of the season-ending tournament.
Zverev has already secured his place at this month’s ATP Finals in Turin, so his Paris defeat does not affect his qualification. For Djokovic, the loss closes the door on Turin this year, unless the qualification picture changes through withdrawals, which were not reported in the material reviewed for this story.
Other shocks on the day
Elsewhere in Paris, unseeded Peruvian Ignacio Buse claimed the biggest win of his career by upsetting Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev, who has already qualified for Turin, received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after striking the court in frustration at 4-4 in the second set.
Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry also produced an upset, defeating eighth seed Alex de Minaur 7-6(2), 6-3. De Minaur had beaten Zverev in Vienna only days earlier, which makes the chain of results in Paris even more striking.
For Zverev, the wider season still stands as a breakthrough. He captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, and added a second major crown at the US Open. Those results lifted him to number one, and they will not be erased by one second-round defeat.
For Musetti, the win offers a different kind of reward. After injuries and a long wait for a title, he now has a win over the world number one to carry into the final weeks of the season. Zverev’s Vienna run and his rise to number one were covered here earlier, along with Djokovic’s Basel bid for a Finals place.
The Paris draw will now move on without Djokovic in the Finals race, and with Zverev facing questions about his form at the top. Musetti, meanwhile, will look to turn one famous win into a deeper run in the tournament.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score between Musetti and Zverev?
Lorenzo Musetti beat Alexander Zverev 7-6(5), 6-2 in the second round of the Paris Masters.
Why did the loss matter for Zverev?
It was his first match as world number one, a ranking he reached on Monday after winning the French Open and the US Open this year.
How did Djokovic lose his ATP Finals hopes?
Rinky Hijikata beat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, ending the Serb’s chance of qualifying for the season-ending tournament in Turin.
Has Zverev already qualified for the ATP Finals?
Yes. Zverev has already secured his place in Turin, so the Paris defeat does not affect his qualification.
Who else caused an upset in Paris on Wednesday?
Ignacio Buse beat fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat eighth seed Alex de Minaur 7-6(2), 6-3.
