Alexander Zverev became the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player for the first time after reaching the Vienna Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
The 29-year-old German defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 at the Erste Bank Open, securing his rise to number one in the ATP rankings to be published on Monday. He is the 30th man to hold the top spot since the rankings began in 1973 and the second German after Boris Becker in 1991.
Zverev was already assured of finishing 2026 as the year-end number one after Jannik Sinner ended his season early due to a knee injury. By winning his first two matches in Vienna, he accelerated the transition, becoming the first player other than Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz to top the rankings since Novak Djokovic in June 2024.
His 2026 season included breakthrough Grand Slam victories at the French Open and US Open, ending a long wait for major titles. After the match, Zverev called it “one of the best feelings in the world” and thanked his team, including his father, for their support .
He will next face Britain’s Arthur Fery in the quarter-finals, a rematch of their Wimbledon semi-final. Fery advanced by defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 earlier in the day .
