Arabic version: زفيريف يستعد لاعتلاء صدارة التصنيف العالمي لرابطة محترفي التنس
According to BBC News, Alexander Zverev will replace Jannik Sinner as the ATP world number one at his earliest opportunity after beating Tallon Griekspoor at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The 29-year-old reached the quarter-finals with a 6-4 7-5 victory and will become the first player other than Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to lead the rankings since Novak Djokovic in June 2024. Zverev is the 30th man to become ATP world number one and the second German to do so, after Boris Becker in 1991.
Zverev had already secured the year-end number one position for 2026. His rise follows a season in which he won the French Open and US Open titles and recorded 64 victories in 80 matches.
“It’s been a wait but sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life,” Zverev said. “I’m super happy, super thrilled – I have no words for this year.” He said he would “maybe not” be the world’s best player if Sinner and Alcaraz were healthy and at the top of their game.
Next, Zverev will face British number one Arthur Fery in the Vienna quarter-finals, repeating their Wimbledon semi-final. Fery beat Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 5-7 6-4, while Carlos Alcaraz advanced and Daniil Medvedev saved match point to defeat Cameron Norrie.
