Highlights: Zverev Defeats Humbert in Straight Sets to Claim Paris Masters Title

Germany’s Alexander Zverev clinched the Paris Masters title on Sunday, overpowering France’s Ugo Humbert with a 6-2, 6-2 win, cementing his position as the world’s new number two.

This victory marks Zverev’s seventh career title at the ATP 1000 level, adding to previous triumphs in Rome, Madrid, Montreal, and Cincinnati.

Returning to Paris proved rewarding for the 27-year-old after his narrow five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final earlier this year. He also narrowly missed the Paris Masters title four years ago when he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the 2020 final.

“I knew I had to play at my best to win today,” Zverev shared, addressing the Bercy Arena crowd and acknowledging Humbert’s impressive performance. “Congratulations to Ugo for an amazing week and his incredible talent. This won’t be your last shot at a trophy like this.”

Zverev’s semifinal victory guaranteed that he would surpass Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz to become world number two in the updated rankings. Zverev will continue his season at the ATP Finals in Turin from November 10-17, where he’ll look to build on his past successes from 2018 and 2021. His latest win gives him 66 victories this season, one more than current world number one Jannik Sinner.

For 26-year-old Humbert, this final marked the end of a memorable run, as he reached his first Masters 1000 final in front of a home crowd. Ranked 18th globally, Humbert captivated local fans by defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz in the last 16, becoming the first French player in 13 years to reach the Paris Masters final.

“I want to congratulate Sascha for his incredible play this week and throughout the season,” said Humbert. “Growing up, I watched matches here at the Paris Masters, which inspired me, so reaching this final means a lot.”

Humbert opened the match confidently, holding serve with an impressive forehand passing shot. However, Zverev’s power soon took a toll, breaking Humbert’s serve in the third game and establishing control with a 4-1 lead to take the first set. Zverev played with precision, committing only four unforced errors to Humbert’s 17.

In the second set, Humbert’s double fault handed Zverev an immediate break. From there, Zverev’s big serves and powerful groundstrokes kept him firmly in control, despite the enthusiastic home crowd’s support for Humbert. The Frenchman struggled to gain any ground on Zverev’s service games, managing just four return points and holding serve only once in the fifth game. Zverev closed out the match to win his second Masters title this season, following his victory in Rome in May.