The 35-year-old Djokovic didn't appear at his best physically early on and called for a trainer after holding for a 2-1 lead in the second set.
Rafael Nadal has achieved the coveted year-end No. 1 ranking five times, tied with Roger Federer, and trailing only Novak Djokovic (7) and Pete Sampras (6).
Djokovic moved one clear of fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal for Masters trophies, and nine ahead of Roger Federer, the other tennis great with 20 majors.
Unseeded Denmark player Holger Rune lost the first set 3-6 but won the two subsequent sets 6-3, 7-5 to deny Novak Djokovic his 39th Masters title.
Guy Forget was appointed as Paris Masters director in 2012. He took charge of Roland Garros in 2016. Under Forget, Roland Garros introduced night sessions this year.
Serbian Novak Djokovic, who is on course for a record-extending sixth Paris Masters title, moved one ahead of American Pete Sampras, who secured his six top year-end finishes from 1993-98.
Rafael Nadal made 19 unforced errors in his defeat to Thomas Paul as the second seed made a second-round exit from the Paris Masters 2022 tournament.
Djokovic is also vying for a record 37th Masters title. He is tied on 36 with fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic's opponent Gael Monfils had to pull out of the tie after an ultrasound a few hours ago showed a muscular lesion in his thighs.
Novak Djokovic showed signs of rustiness with a couple of unforced errors during the Paris Masters tennis match.
Daniil Medvedev, seeded third secured just his second win against the fourth-seeded Zverev in seven matches
Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, on Wednesday became only the fourth man to reach 1,000 match wins
Novak Djokovic won his fifth Paris Masters title on Sunday, meaning he can still beat Rafael Nadal to finish the year as world number one
Denis Shapovalov was handed a spot in the ATP Paris Masters final after Rafael Nadal withdrew with an abdominal injury
Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov, the Indo-Canadian duo, lost 5-7, 7-6, 8-10 to the Russian pair of Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublov in a men's doubles...
Rafael Nadal stayed on course to finish the year as No. 1 after he saw off Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to reach the Paris Masters semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic served up a masterclass as he made light work of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of the ATP Paris Masters
Rafael Nadal boosted his hopes of ending the year as World No. 1 with a 6-4 6-4 win over Swiss Stan Wawrinka at the Paris Masters on Thursday (October 31).
Novak Djokovic beat French 20-year-old Corentin Moutet 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to enter the third round of the Paris Masters.
Daniil Medvedev arrived in Paris looking for a third successive title, but the World No. 4's winning run was halted at nine matches by a shock 4-6, 6-2, 6-4...