Alexander Zverev has become the 30th player to reach the top of the ATP rankings, following an outstanding 2026 season in which he won the first two Grand Slam titles of his career.
The German, 29, replaced Italy’s Jannik Sinner at number one on Monday, 2 November, after securing his rise by reaching the quarter-finals of the Vienna Open. He is the second player from Germany to top the rankings, after Boris Becker.
Zverev had previously climbed as high as number two but had been unable to complete his ascent to the summit. His achievement comes during a period of major change at the top of men’s tennis, following the long dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and the emergence of a new generation led by Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner.
Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among the leading players from the generation attempting to challenge the established elite.
Before this season, Zverev had won 24 titles but had yet to claim a Grand Slam. He had lost three major finals: to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2024 and to Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.
His other notable achievements include an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020, two ATP Finals titles and seven ATP Masters 1000 victories. One of the most difficult moments of his career came in the 2022 Roland Garros semi-final against Nadal, when an ankle injury forced him to retire. He subsequently spent more than six months away from competition and continued his search for the major title that would place him among the sport’s champions.
“It is extremely special,” Zverev said after confirming he would become world number one. “To feel that I am at the top of the world is incredible. It is different from winning a tournament or a title, but it is a very special feeling to know that number one will appear next to your name when the new rankings are released.”
A season of major breakthroughs
Zverev began 2026 by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open. He then took advantage of Alcaraz’s absence from Roland Garros because of a wrist injury and Sinner’s second-round defeat by Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The German made the most of the opportunity, beating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the final to win Roland Garros for the first time and claim his maiden Grand Slam title.
He reached the Wimbledon final but lost to Sinner before responding at the US Open. There, he defeated American Ben Shelton in the final to secure his second major title of the year and show that his success in Paris was not an isolated achievement.
Sinner’s injury-enforced absence towards the end of the season and Alcaraz’s decline in the rankings race opened the way for Zverev. His place in the Vienna quarter-finals then formally sealed the move to number one.
Zverev reached the top aged 29 years and six months, becoming the second-oldest player to become world number one for the first time, behind Australia’s John Newcombe, who achieved the feat aged 30 in 1974.
He had first reached number two more than four years ago. After finally combining an exceptional season with his first two Grand Slam titles, Zverev has moved ahead of Sinner and joined the select group of players to reach number one, alongside Alcaraz, Djokovic and Medvedev.
