Market risk vs. credit risk

Why we can say market risk is left-tail risk and credit risk is right-tail risk? Thanks.

Market risk is the risk that the value of an asset will decrease; hence, left-tail.

Credit risk arises when you have a contract – swap, forward, option, for example – and the counterparty may not pay. The only time that the counterparty would have to pay is if the value of the contract increased; hence, right-tail.

I was wondering myself. Thanks for the answer.

My pleasure.