Alexander Zverev reaches the summit after ending long wait for Grand Slam success

Alexander Zverev has become the 30th player to reach the top of the ATP rankings, completing a remarkable rise after winning the first two Grand Slam titles of his career at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2026.

The German replaced Italy’s Jannik Sinner at number one on Monday, 2 November, after securing his promotion by reaching the quarter-finals of the Vienna tournament. Zverev had previously climbed as high as second in the world but had been unable to take the final step.

He is the second player from Germany to lead the rankings, following Boris Becker.

Zverev’s breakthrough comes after a period of major change at the top of men’s tennis. The sport had been dominated for years by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic before a new generation, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, began to emerge.

Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among the leading players attempting to establish themselves alongside the sport’s biggest names.

Despite having won 24 titles before the start of the current season, Grand Slam tournaments had remained the biggest obstacle in Zverev’s career. He had lost three major finals: against Thiem at the 2020 US Open, Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2024 and Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.

His previous achievements included an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020, two ATP Finals titles and seven Masters 1000 trophies.

A serious ankle injury suffered during his 2022 Roland Garros semi-final against Nadal was one of the most difficult moments of his career. Zverev was forced to retire from the match and spent more than six months away from competition. Even after returning, he continued to search for the major title that would place him among the game’s champions.

“It is extremely special,” Zverev said after guaranteeing his rise to the top. “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 published.”

A defining season

Zverev began 2026 by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals before taking advantage of a changing draw at Roland Garros. Alcaraz missed the tournament with a wrist injury, while Sinner was eliminated in the second round by Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Zverev made the most of the opportunity, defeating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the final to win the French tournament for the first time and claim his maiden Grand Slam title.

He then reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Sinner, before responding at the US Open. Victory over American Ben Shelton in the final delivered Zverev’s second major title of the year and confirmed that his success in Paris was not a one-off.

Sinner’s late-season absence because of injury, along with Alcaraz’s decline in the rankings race, opened the way for Zverev to take the number one position.

He achieved the milestone aged 29 years and six months, becoming the second-oldest player to reach number one for the first time after Australia’s John Newcombe, who did so aged 30 in 1974.

Zverev had first reached second place more than four years ago. His exceptional season and two Grand Slam victories have now taken him past Sinner and into an exclusive group that includes Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and Medvedev.