Zverev Upset in Shanghai Masters First Round by Rinderknech

SHANGHAI, China — Third-seeded Alexander Zverev fell to World No. 54 Arthur Rinderknech in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters on Monday. After winning the first set, Zverev could not maintain his momentum and lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Zverev, the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, initially looked dominant. He took an early break and secured the first set in 44 minutes. However, Rinderknech proved resilient, breaking Zverev’s serve in the second and third sets to claim victory after more than two hours.

This match marked Rinderknech’s second victory over Zverev this season, having defeated him in five sets at Wimbledon earlier this year. Rinderknech, now 30, has achieved a career-best 23 wins in 2025 and is into the fourth round of a Masters 1000 event for the third time.

In contrast, Zverev, who had suffered a toe injury in a previous match, appeared fit at the start. However, he struggled to respond to Rinderknech’s serves, winning only 62% of his service points compared to Rinderknech’s 74%.

“I fought like hell,” Rinderknech said after his victory. “Starting in the second set, I was able to be offensive at the right moment.” Zverev’s exit means that Novak Djokovic, ranked No. 5, remains the highest-ranked player left in the tournament following multiple other upsets.