Shanghai: Germany’s Alexander Zverev is assured of ending the 2026 tennis season as the world’s top-ranked player after Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprise defeat in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Monday.
Alcaraz’s loss to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, who won 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), ended his chances of preventing Zverev from securing the year-end No. 1 ranking.
Zverev had been in contention to move ahead of current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. However, the German will not officially overtake the Italian before November 2.
Reflecting on the achievement, Zverev described finishing the season at the top of the rankings as a dream come true, crediting the hard work involved in reaching the milestone.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a successful campaign, winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open in June before adding the US Open crown last month. His progress comes after several years of competing among the sport’s leading players.
Zverev’s achievement also marks a significant milestone for German tennis, as he is set to become the first German player to finish a season as world No. 1. He will also be the oldest player to achieve the distinction for the first time.
The German’s rise follows a lengthy recovery from a serious ankle injury sustained during the 2022 French Open semi-finals, which kept him out of action for seven months. He returned to the sport’s upper tier and has remained inside the top four since March 2024.
Zverev said the journey back from injury had required considerable effort and expressed his desire to conclude the season on a strong note.
