Sportsupdated 2h ago3 min read
Archive photo · 18 August 2026Alexander Zverev Says He Was Annoyed After Losing Paris Masters Opener To Lorenzo Musetti
“Alexander Zverev says he has been ‘annoyed’ by the reaction to him becoming world number one.”
“Thomalla’s Instagram post celebrating Zverev aged like milk.”
Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Zverev lost to Lorenzo Musetti in his Paris Masters debut as world No. 1. He expressed annoyance at the repeated need to justify being world No. 1.
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Zverev’s first match
Alexander Zverev said he was "annoyed" by the reaction to him becoming world number one, after he lost to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Paris Masters. Zverev described the scrutiny as something he "has to explain why it's OK" for him to be top of the rankings, and he said he was the only world number in tennis history who has to justify himself. Zverev lost his first match at the top after being presented with the world number one trophy in Paris on Monday, and he was beaten 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 by Musetti.
Zverev said, "To simplify it, he played really good and I played really bad," and he added that the match might be "one of the worst in the last couple of months." Zverev also pointed to his season record, saying he has a 62-8 win-loss record against opponents ranked 11 and below, while he has only won three of 12 matches against top-10 players.
Musetti ends the run
Lorenzo Musetti beat Zverev in two sets at the Rolex Paris Masters, and Le Parisien said Zverev was eliminated in the second round.
Le Parisien reported that Zverev was beaten in two sets by Musetti on Wednesday, and it described the match as a tiebreak where Zverev briefly took the lead 5 points to 2.
Le Parisien said Zverev then lost the next five points, and it reported that Musetti finished the match with a love game in 1h40.
Zverev told a press conference that he felt like "I’m the only world No. 1 in tennis history who has to explain why it’s normal that I’m world No. 1," and he added, "I don’t think anyone has ever had to justify themselves so much."
Jimmy Connors said Zverev has an "obligation" now to play like a two-time Grand Slam champion, stating, "he has an obligation now to the game and to himself to play like a two-time Grand Slam champion, every time."
What comes next
Zverev’s frustration came as he said he was "annoyed" by having to explain his status, and he framed the issue as needing to justify why it is "OK" to be world No. 1.
“Poor Fred! Not respecting a world No. 1 is disreputable.”
The New York Times said Zverev became world No. 1 on Monday by overtaking Italy’s Jannik Sinner, and it reported that Zverev will enter the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, as the No. 1 seed.
The New York Times also said Zverev has won two Grand Slam titles in 2026, taking the French Open and U.S. Open titles, and it reported that he reached the Wimbledon final where he lost to Sinner.
The New York Times reported that Sinner has not played since Wimbledon due to a right knee injury and will not return to the tour until January 2027 at the earliest, while it said Alcaraz missed nearly five months and two majors with a right wrist injury.
Bernard Giudicelli responded to Frédéric Verdier’s comments about Zverev’s status by writing, "Poor Fred! Not respecting a world No. 1 is disreputable," and he asked, "What would he have said if a Frenchman had been in this situation."