Alexander Zverev’s year continues to get better as the German has become the world No. 1 player. The top rank was confirmed after Alexander Zverev defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Zverev will be the 30th different men’s player at No. 1 and the oldest first-timer to reach the top since 30-year-old John Newcombe did it in 1974. The ATP rankings had been created the previous year. Zverev will surpass Jannik Sinner, who has been out of action due to a knee injury since winning Wimbledon 2026.
reflected on becoming the top ranked player and said that it’s a very different feeling to winning the tournament.
“To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing,” Zverev said after beating Tallon Griekspoor.
“It is different than winning a tournament or a title,” the French Open and U.S. Open champion said, “but it’s such a special feeling to know that the No. 1 is going to be next to your name when the new rankings come out.”
A Dream Year For Zverev
For years, Zverev was among the best players on the court but failed to win Grand Slams. However, 2026 brought the best out of the big German, who first won the French Open and then became a US Open Champion. Zverev also reached the final of Wimbledon, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Zverev’s wins were aided by the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and , who struggled with injuries. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, while Jannik Sinner did not play the US Open. Zverev won both the Grand Slams without facing the two biggest challengers. In fact, Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon and Ben Shelton at the US Open were the only two top-10 players he faced in his Grand Slam wins.
But that does not take anything away from Zverev, who was finally rewarded for the years of hard work he has put on the court and who knows when he faces Sinner or Alcaraz next, he may come up with the best version of himself that might be good enough to beat the two players in Grand Slams.