Alexander Zverev crowned year-end world No. 1 after Alcaraz's shock Shanghai Masters defeat
Alexander Zverev has secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking in men's tennis for the first time in his career. This milestone follows a successful season featuring Grand Slam titles and was finalized after Carlos Alcaraz's defeat at the Shanghai Masters.
Why it matters
Zverev's achievement marks a significant shift in the landscape of professional tennis, highlighting his return to form after a major injury.
Alexander Zverev has capped a breakthrough season by securing the year-end world No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career, becoming the oldest player to achieve the milestone for the first time. The German's historic achievement was confirmed on Monday after Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat to Belgium's Zizou Bergs at the Shanghai Masters, while Jannik Sinner's season-ending knee injury had already weakened his challenge for the year-end honours.The 29-year-old Zverev is currently ranked No. 2 in the ATP rankings but is assured of finishing the 2026 season at the top of the year-end standings.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in