Paris Masters: Zverev, Djokovic Suffer Shock Exits as Alcaraz Advances

Posted : 05 November 2026

The 2026 Paris Masters witnessed a series of major upsets on Wednesday, November 4, as newly crowned world number one Alexander Zverev and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic were eliminated.

Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe also suffered defeats, while Carlos Alcaraz avoided the upset wave by overcoming American Alex Michelsen to reach the last 16.

Zverev’s first appearance at the tournament as world number one ended in disappointment after Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti defeated him 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

The German had recently reached the top of the ATP rankings after winning the French Open and US Open earlier in the season. However, he struggled to maintain his advantage in the opening-set tie-break before Musetti took control of the second set.

Following the defeat, Zverev expressed frustration at having to defend his position at the top of the rankings. He insisted that he deserved to be world number one despite the loss and admitted that the questions surrounding his ranking had annoyed him. Musetti, meanwhile, was delighted with the victory, describing the German as one of the toughest challenges he could face.

Djokovic also endured a disappointing afternoon, losing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata. The Serbian, who has won the Paris Masters seven times, started strongly but struggled to maintain his level as the 83rd-ranked Australian fought back to claim the next two sets.

The defeat ended Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin and effectively brought his 2026 season to a close.

Former world number one Daniil Medvedev was another high-profile casualty, falling 6-4, 6-4 to Peru’s Ignacio Buse. Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur also exited after losing 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

American seventh seed Frances Tiafoe suffered a similarly painful defeat, going down 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (11/9) to Frenchman Quentin Halys despite having opportunities to close out the match.

Tiafoe’s elimination also confirmed Arthur Fils’ qualification for the ATP Finals, giving France a representative at the season-ending tournament in Turin. Fils celebrated the achievement by defeating Czech qualifier Tomas Machac 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), advancing further in front of the home crowd.

Alcaraz was among the few leading players to avoid an early exit. The Spanish second seed defeated American Alex Michelsen 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to secure his place in the last 16. After a competitive opening set, Alcaraz recovered from a difficult position in the tie-break and took control of the second set with a crucial break. He will next face Italian Matteo Berrettini.

The results left the Paris Masters draw wide open, with several leading contenders departing earlier than expected. While Zverev and Djokovic will reflect on disappointing campaigns in Paris, Alcaraz and the remaining players will look to take advantage of the opportunities created by Wednesday’s remarkable series of upsets.

Paris Masters: Zverev, Djokovic Suffer Shock Exits as Alcaraz Advances

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics