Alexander Zverev becomes world number one, then loses Paris opener

Alexander Zverev's rise to world number one followed a season in which he won his first two Grand Slam titles. According to the BBC, he had spent 13 years waiting for his first, then won two in three months.

The German arrived in Vienna within one victory of securing the top ranking, Adnkronos reported on October 29. The decisive match would be against Tallon Griekspoor, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

On October 29, Zverev beat Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna. That result guaranteed he would replace Jannik Sinner when the rankings were updated on Monday, November 2, according to France24. He did not need to win the tournament to complete the move.

On October 30, he followed that breakthrough with a 6-0, 6-2 quarter-final victory over Arthur Féry. L'Équipe described a performance marked by power and control.

His Vienna run ended on October 31. Alex de Minaur beat him in the semifinals, a result that also revived the Australian's prospects of reaching the ATP Finals, ABC Australia reported.

On November 2, Zverev officially became the 30th number one in ATP history and the first German to hold the position since Boris Becker in 1991, according to Forbes. The outlet reported that Sinner had been absent since Wimbledon with a knee injury.

That same day, Zverev was honoured on the centre court at the Rolex Paris Masters. The 29-year-old received a glass trophy and congratulations from several former players, L'Équipe reported.

Zverev's first match as world number one ended in defeat. Lorenzo Musetti beat him in the second round of the Paris Masters on November 4, as reported by Il Post.

After the loss, Zverev expressed discomfort over what he considered a lack of recognition, according to L'Équipe. His new ranking is a career milestone, but the two tournaments surrounding its confirmation ended without a title: a semifinal exit in Vienna, followed by an opening defeat in Paris.