Wednesday brought upsets at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters, with Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur all crashing out as the draw opened up.
Lorenzo Musetti spoiled Zverev’s first appearance as world No. 1 with an impressive straight-sets win, while qualifier Rinky Hijikata came from behind to stun seven-time champion Djokovic and end his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals.
Elsewhere, Ignacio Buse claimed the scalp of Daniil Medvedev, Quentin Halys saved four match points to knock out Frances Tiafoe, and Tomás Martín Etcheverry continued his unlikely run by beating De Minaur.
Carlos Alcaraz was one of the few leading seeds to survive, although he needed time to find his rhythm against Alex Michelsen. With so many big names already gone, the Spaniard is looking increasingly likely to lift his first Paris title.
Below is a look at Wednesday’s results, the key matches and Thursday’s last-16 lineup.
Day Three Paris Masters Round of 32 Results
Key Match Recap
Lorenzo Musetti def. Alexander Zverev 7-6(5), 6-2
Alexander Zverev was handed the top ranking on Monday, but his first match in the position ended in a straight-sets defeat to Lorenzo Musetti.
I flagged this as a potentially difficult opener for Zverev when the draw came out, particularly with Musetti coming off his Lyon title, and I wasn’t sure whether Zverev would try to switch his focus to the Davis Cup + ATP Finals.
Maybe he has, but for the most part he was just the second-best player on court.
The first set was tight, with Zverev serving well enough to keep Musetti at bay, but the Italian was the more aggressive player from the baseline and looked increasingly comfortable as the match progressed.
Still, Zverev had the perfect opportunity to take control when he led 5-2 in the tie-break. Instead, Musetti reeled off five consecutive points to steal the set, and the German never really recovered.
Musetti finished with 29 winners and just 12 unforced errors, and the second set was fairly one-sided, with Musetti breaking twice and Zverev looking increasingly resigned to his fate.
I don’t think Sascha played that well, but credit to Musetti for actually taking the match to him rather than sitting back and waiting for errors.
Rinky Hijikata def. Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
After needing two and a half hours to get past Valentin Vacherot on Tuesday, Djokovic looked set for a much more comfortable afternoon against qualifier Rinky Hijikata.
The Serbian took the opening set 6-2 and seemed to have everything under control, with Hijikata struggling to impose himself from the baseline.
However, things began to unravel in the second set as Djokovic’s serving level dropped and the Australian started playing with considerably more freedom.
Hijikata broke at 4-3 with a forehand winner before serving out the set to love, and suddenly the seven-time champion had yet another three-set battle on his hands.
Time on court is the last thing Djoker needs, and the Australian didn’t let up in the decider. He kept attacking, used his forehand to dictate rallies and saved all three break points he faced.
His 29th forehand winner sealed the match after two hours and 14 minutes, giving him the biggest victory of his career.
For Djokovic, it’s a poor defeat after his win over Vacherot and such a dominant opening set.
He admitted afterwards that he felt he should have won, and it’s hard to disagree. His level dropped considerably after the first set, and once Hijikata began taking the ball early, the Serbian struggled to regain control.
The result also ends his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin, so it’s season over for him, and he’s got some thinking to do in the off-season.
Tomás Martín Etcheverry def. Alex de Minaur 7-6(2), 6-3
Etcheverry followed up his marathon win over Andrey Rublev with another impressive victory, this time against eighth seed Alex de Minaur.
The Argentine arrived in Paris after losing his opening match at five consecutive tournaments, but he’s had quite a turnaround.
The opening set was closely contested, with Etcheverry saving two set points before producing some of his best tennis in the tie-break.
De Minaur never really got going after that, and he looked a little flat, and I guess his run to the Vienna final took a bit out of him.
Irrespective of that, it’s a pretty poor loss, as Etcheverry’s record against Top 10 players was 0 wins in 20 attempts prior to today.
It is also a blow to the Aussie’s ATP Finals hopes, particularly after Rafael Jódar’s exit yesterday gave him a chance to improve his position in the Race to Turin.
Quentin Halys def. Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(9)
One of the day’s most dramatic matches saw Quentin Halys save four match points to knock out seventh seed Frances Tiafoe.
The Frenchman took the opening set 6-3 before Tiafoe responded with a dominant second set, winning it 6-1.
Tiafoe looked on course to complete the comeback when he served for the match at 5-4 in the decider, but he couldn’t finish the job.
Halys broke back and eventually forced a tie-break, saving four match points before coming through 11-9.
It was a double bonus for French fans, as well as being a cracking win for Halys; the result confirmed Arthur Fils’ qualification for Turin, making him the first Frenchman to reach the season-ending championship since Gaël Monfils in 2016.
Tiafoe remains in the ATP Finals qualification positions, but he has now given the chasing pack a chance to overtake him.
Yet again, he can produce excellent tennis in stretches but can’t maintain it when the match is on the line.
Ignacio Buse def. Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4
Another big upset came on Court 1, where Ignacio Buse produced the biggest win of his career, defeating fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
The Peruvian has had some decent wins this year, and he already looked in good form against Zizou Bergs on Monday, but taking out a former Paris champion was a considerable step up.
Buse played an excellent match, particularly on the important points, and made Medvedev work hard throughout.
He broke late in the first set to take it 6-4, then recovered from 3-2 down in the second after Medvedev had finally managed to make an impression on return.
Rather than allowing the Russian to build momentum, Buse raised his level again and won the final three games to close out the match.
As for Medvedev, he noted afterwards that he’d been practising on a court off-site because of a lack of practice courts at the Plenitude Arena, but said Court 1 is 10 times faster than the one he’d been hitting on and he struggled to adjust.
Matteo Berrettini def. Ugo Humbert 7-6(3), 7-5
Matteo Berrettini continued his run with a straight-sets victory over home favourite Ugo Humbert.
After saving two match points against Brandon Nakashima on Tuesday, the Italian backed it up with another solid win against one of the tour’s better indoor players.
Humbert has always been a bit of an indoor tennis man and reached the Paris final in 2024, so this was a decent test, although he did have a late finish last night against Van de Zandschulp, which wasn’t ideal.
The opening set was decided in a tie-break, which Berrettini took 7-3, before the Italian secured the decisive break late in the second to complete the victory.
Berrettini’s problem is always whether he can stay healthy long enough to build any momentum, but it’s the end of the season, so he may as well leave it all out there this week.
Carlos Alcaraz def. Alex Michelsen 7-6(4), 6-3
Carlos Alcaraz avoided the fate of several other top seeds, though he needed time to settle against Alex Michelsen.
The Spaniard broke early in the opening set but immediately gave it back, while Michelsen played his usual solid baseline tennis.
Alcaraz was also making a few more errors than usual, and things looked slightly concerning when he fell 4-1 behind in the tie-break.
However, he responded by winning six consecutive points to steal the opener, which largely decided the direction of the match.
The second set was more straightforward, with Alcaraz securing the decisive break at 4-3 before closing it out in an hour and 41 minutes.
Carlo’s record at this tournament is surprisingly modest compared with what he’s achieved elsewhere, but the draw is wide open, and he could sweep up here and in Turin.
Other Results and Thursday’s Matches
Luca Van Assche continued his excellent season with a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Learner Tien, saving nine of ten break points and producing a superb 41-shot rally on match point.
Taylor Fritz also kept his ATP Finals hopes alive, though it was another three-setter as qualifier Alex Molčan pushed him all the way before he won 6-7(6), 7-5, 7-6(5).
Arthur Rinderknech comfortably defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-1, while lucky loser Nuno Borges beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4 to continue his unexpected run.
Highlights
Soon.
Paris Masters Day 4 Round of 16 Matches
All times local (CET). Matches listed in main-draw order, not order of play. Court 1 begins with two doubles matches at 11:00 before the singles matches. Times and scheduling are subject to change.
Who impressed you most on Wednesday? Can Hijikata continue his run, or will Alcaraz take advantage of the depleted draw? Let me know in the comments.
