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Zverev officially becomes world No. 1 for the first time

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Alexander Zverev became the men’s world No. 1 for the first time in the ATP rankings published on Monday, 2 November. The 29-year-old replaced Jannik Sinner at the top and became the 30th player to lead the computerised rankings since their introduction in 1973.

Zverev heads the new list with 9,550 points, 100 more than Sinner on 9,450. Carlos Alcaraz remains third with 6,100 points after winning the Vienna Open on Sunday.

The German had guaranteed the change during last week’s tournament in Vienna, when victory over Tallon Griekspoor took him into the quarter-finals. Monday’s publication marks his first week holding the ranking itself.

He is the second German man to reach No. 1, following Boris Becker. Becker last held the position in September 1991, making Zverev’s rise the end of a wait of more than 35 years for German men’s tennis.

The milestone follows a season in which Zverev won the first two Grand Slam titles of his career. He lifted the Roland Garros trophy before adding the US Open, where he defeated Ben Shelton in a four-set final.

His route to the top has also included a return from the ankle injury he suffered at Roland Garros in 2022. Zverev had already secured the year-end No. 1 position in October, ahead of his first appearance at the summit of the weekly rankings.

Sinner has been absent from competition since his Wimbledon title in July and is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Zverev’s latest tournament ended in a semi-final defeat by Alex de Minaur in Vienna, where Alcaraz went on to take the title without dropping a set.

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