Alexander Zverev suffers shock defeat in first match as world number one

Alexander Zverev lost his first match since becoming world number one.

The 29-year-old German, who won the French and US Opens this year, was elevated to top spot in the ATP rankings for the first time on Monday. However, he blew a 5-2 lead in a first-set tie-break on his way to a surprise 7-6 (5) 6-2 defeat by Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Paris Masters. “It’s pretty shocking the level I was able to play in front of (Zverev), who was serving really well, especially in the first set,” Musetti, 24, said in his on-court interview. “It was really close. It could have gone both ways. The key was to stay there at 5-2. I played five great points in a row.”

Published: 04/11/2026 by Radio NewsHub