Alexander Zverev has secured the year-end No. 1 ranking as of Monday, capping off a successful season in which he won his first two Grand Slam titles. The 29-year-old German is set to become the oldest player to achieve this honor for the first time, following the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner due to injury. Zverev will surpass Sinner, who has held the No. 1 position, before the season concludes next month.
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Zverev's rise to the top of the rankings was solidified when Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 3, was defeated by Zizou Bergs in a recent match in Shanghai. This year, Zverev won both the French Open and the U.S. Open, and also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the final at Wimbledon. Prior to this year, he had reached three Grand Slam finals without winning.
"It’s been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true," Zverev stated. He added that considerable effort went into achieving this goal, particularly after his recovery from a severe ankle injury sustained during the 2022 French Open semifinals against Rafael Nadal.
Zverev's next match is scheduled against Alexander Bublik in the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sinner, who last played in July after defeating Zverev in the Wimbledon final, has announced his decision to end his season due to inflammation in his right knee. In 2024, Zverev finished the year as No. 2.