Alexander Zverev is assured of finishing the 2026 season as world number one after Carlos Alcaraz’s surprise defeat at the Shanghai Masters.
Germany’s Zverev was on course to overtake current world number one Jannik Sinner, who has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.
Alcaraz still had a mathematical chance to stop Zverev until he was beaten 7-5 7-6 (7-4) by Belgian Zizou Bergs in the third round on Monday.
“It’s been a fantastic season for me. Knowing that I will finish the year at the top of the rankings is simply a dream come true,” Zverev said.
After losing three major finals, Zverev captured the first Grand Slam title of his career by winning the French Open in June, followed by a victory at the US Open last month.
The 29-year-old took advantage of injury problems suffered by Spaniard Alcaraz and Italian Sinner – the dominant pair on the ATP Tour in the previous two seasons – to become the world’s best player.
Zverev will not be able to overtake Sinner until November 2 at the earliest.
He will become the first German to finish the year as number one, and the oldest player to achieve this feat for the first time.
After suffering a serious ankle injury during the 2022 French Open semi-finals that kept him sidelined for seven months, Zverev regained his place in the sport’s upper echelons and has been ranked in the top four continuously since March 2024.
“So much work and effort has gone into achieving this goal, especially after returning from an ankle injury. I can’t wait to finish the season on a high note,” he added.
Gn sports
