Tommy Paul defeated the third seed Zverev 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 in the Round of 64

Tommy Paul sealed the biggest win of his career by defeating World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the Round of 64 at the Indian Wells Masters. With this win, Paul now has a 2-0 head to head record against Zverev, having beaten him before at the Acapulco Open in 2020.

The unseeded American surprised one and all by brushing off Zverev in the first set quite easily. The German did come back strong to win the second set but Paul held his nerves to eventually win the third set and the match in a tie-breaker.

Speaking after the match, an elated Paul said, “I like playing here. I like the conditions. The fans really support us here and that’s why we all love it. It feels like a real home tournament.” The 24-year old spoke about his career ambitions for the near future. “I would hope that I can be in Top 10. That’s what it takes, you’ve got to beat more Top 10 players and I played well today, so I’m happy.”

Tommy Paul has had a great run so far at the Indian Wells. In the first round, he secured a straight-set victory against Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-4 and followed it up with this brilliant win against Zverev. The American is scheduled to face Australia’s Alex de Minnaur in the third round.

Paul will look to carry forward the momentum into his next match. He is definitely high on confidence right now but will face a stiff challenge against de Minnaur, the 29th seed in the tournament.

Is this Tommy Paul’s rise to fame?

This is not the first time that Paul has impressed against the top players on tour even though it is arguably the biggest win of his career. It is his fourth win over a top-10 opponent which includes a win in California 2021 against Andrey Rublev, then World No. 5. Paul has been very impressive so far this year.

This is his 6th tournament in 2022 and he has been quite consistent at all the events. His best performance so far this year has come at the Delray Beach Open where he reached the semi-finals but lost to the eventual champion Cameron Norrie.

Tommy Paul’s win against Alexander Zverev is bound to draw attention. The 24-year old is currently placed 39th in the ATP rankings and is one of the fastest emerging stars in the men’s circuit. Paul has won one ATP title in his career so far – the 2021 Stockholm Open.

If Paul continues to perform consistently like he has been doing, he would be challenging the big boys for titles sooner or later – and well, this win against Zverev could potentially be the launching pad of his career.

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