Alexander Zverev has secured the ATP Year-End No. 1 rankings for the first time in his career, capping a historic 2026 season. With this, he has become the first German player to finish a season at the top of the men’s ATP rankings after Carlos Alcaraz’s shock defeat at the Shanghai Masters on Monday, October 12.
The milestone follows a remarkable campaign in which he captured his maiden Grand Slam titles at the French Open and US Open. Not only this, but he also reached the Australian Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final, establishing himself as one of the most consistent performers of the tour.
Alcaraz’s defeat to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters confirmed that Zverev could no longer be caught in the race for the year-end top spots. Bergs defeated the Spaniard 7-5, 7-6 (4), ending his hopes to overtake the German in the standings. In addition, Ben Shelton had also lost earlier in the tournament, further strengthening Zverev’s position.
Alexander Zverev Describes Securing Top Spot as Dream Come True Moment
Alexander Zverev, who has now become the 20th player in the men’s tennis history to finish a season as World No. 1, described the achievement as a ‘dream come true’. He is also set to become the oldest player to achieve the year-end honour for the first time on November 23 at 29 years and 217 days. With this, he will surpass Andre Agassi’s previous mark.
“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,” Sascha said to ATPTour.com. “So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury. I look forward to finishing the season in style.”
