Zverev hammers local hero Humbert to win Paris Masters

His 66th victory of 2024 also moved him past world No.1 Jannik Sinner for the most wins on the ATP tour this year.

Zverev's big serve, excellent returns and great attacking shots did not take long to extinguish the hopes of the partisan crowd as Humbert never got into the match.

Zverev drops to his knees on court after overpowering Humbert for the crown. (AP PHOTO)

"I knew I had to play like this to win today," Zverev said. 

"Ugo is an incredible player, but here in Paris he plays even better than he usually does and I knew that. Once the crowd gets involved, it's going to be difficult. So I had to take that away early, and I did. I'm happy about that."

Humbert won't have fond memories of his first Masters final. He tried to play aggressively from the start and to take all the risks to shorten rallies, but he could not find his range while Zverev defended extremely well.

The German quickly solved his rival's serve and had his first break chance in the third game. He took it when Humbert sent a forehand into the net.

Humbert continued to make unforced errors. Trailing 3-1, he saved two break points but dropped his serve again when another shanked forehand sealed the game.

Zverev dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set and sealed it with an ace.

The 15th-seeded Humbert walked back to the locker room after the first set, but the interlude didn't change anything.

The Frenchman double-faulted on his return to the court, continued to make poor tactical decisions and was immediately broken with a forehand into the net. 

Another break gave Zverev a 3-0 lead as Humbert wasted a 40-0 lead and was never able to stage a comeback.

Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker. He will overtake Carlos Alcaraz to move into second place in the new ATP rankings and will be a top contender at the ATP Finals, featuring the top eight players of the season from November 10-17 in Turin.