Zverev’s reign as No. 1 begins with a shock loss to Musetti at the Paris Masters

Alexander Zverev had a disappointing start to life as the world’s top men’s tennis player when he lost to Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

The German, who moved to No. 1 on Monday, struggled to find his rhythm against the Italian and was unable to recover after losing a tight opening set. Musetti raised his level in the second, wrapping up the match in straight sets and recording one of the biggest wins of his season.

Zverev was blunt in his assessment of his performance, admitting that he played poorly.

“Yeah, I was bad. It’s pretty simple,” he said. “It wasn’t a very good match for me, I think maybe one of the worst in the last few months.

The 29-year-old felt the conditions should suit his aggressive game. He pointed to the pace of the court offering opportunities to take control of the rally, but was unable to make the most of it.

“The court was very, very fast,” Zverev said. “Actually, I think this is the trial that should be.

Musetti, meanwhile, made better use of the conditions. The Italian finished with 29 winners to Zverev’s 25 and committed just 12 unforced errors compared to the German’s 21. He sealed the victory with an ace, ending Zverev’s first outing since reaching the top spot.

Despite reaching the pinnacle of men’s tennis after a successful season that included his first two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and the US Open, Zverev appeared frustrated by the scrutiny surrounding his ranking.

He said he felt he didn’t get the credit he deserved and was annoyed at having to justify his position.

“The No. 1 position is something every player dreams of,” he said. “But then I feel like I’m the only world number one in the history of tennis who 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.”

TIAFOE’S DEFEAT SENDS THE FILS THROUGH

Elsewhere, Frances Tiafoe suffered a painful exit after squandering four match points against France’s Quentin Halys. The seventh seed lost 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (9), with the result also confirming Arthur Fils’ qualification for the ATP Finals.

Fils will become the first Frenchman to feature in the season-ending tournament since Gael Monfils in 2016.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev also bowed out, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Ignacio Bus.

Novak Djokovic was due to face qualifier Rinka Hijikata later on Wednesday, while Carlos Alcaraz was due to face American Alex Michelsen. Djokovic needs to reach the semi-finals in Paris to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals. There are only two spots left for the 15-22 tournament. November in Turin, after Paris the only other ATP 250 event in Stockholm remains.

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