Zverev to become world quantity one at earliest alternative

Alexander Zverev will substitute Jannik Sinner as the males’s world quantity one at his earliest alternative after reaching the quarter-finals in Vienna.

Germany’s Zverev was already assured to end 2026 as the ATP’s main participant, but made sure he will rise to the summit on Monday with a 6-4 7-5 win over Tallon Griekspoor at the Erste Bank Open.

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Zverev, 29, is the second German to attain the pinnacle of the males’s tour after Boris Becker in 1991.

The achievement is a testomony to his physique of work this yr, having won two Grand Slam titles and 64 of his 80 matches.

“It’s been a wait but sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life,” said Zverev, who is the second oldest man to prime the rankings for the first time.

“I’m super happy, super thrilled – I have no words for this year.”

At the begin of the yr it appeared unthinkable that anybody other than Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz would become world quantity one.

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But the dominant duo have missed giant chunks of this season through harm, opening the door for Zverev – who won the French Open and US Open titles with at least one of the pair absent – to take over.

Going into 2026, Alcaraz led the rankings with 12,050 factors, carefully adopted by Sinner on 11,500.

The duopoly of the pair – who break up all of the eight Grand Slam titles in 2024 and 2025 between them – was illustrated by the large hole to the relaxation of the area.

Third-ranked Zverev had 5,110 factors – nearer numerically to the 2,221st participant in the rankings than the prime two.

Both his main triumphs came without having to face Sinner or Alcaraz, and he did not face a top-10 participant until beating Ben Shelton in the New York closing.

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As the season entered its closing stretch, Zverev achieved what many thought was unimaginable by securing the year-end quantity one rating when Alcaraz lost in Shanghai on 12 October.

Zverev knew he still could not overtake Sinner until 2 November at the earliest, but beat Griekspoor to become the first man other than Sinner and Alcaraz to prime the rankings since Novak Djokovic in June 2024.

Zverev conceded he would “maybe not” be the world’s best participant if both his rivals were “healthy and at the top of their game”.

But he has effectively overwhelmed what has been in entrance of him, recording the biggest season of a profession which had threatened to fall short of the lofty expectations positioned on him since rising as a teenage prodigy.

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Fery continues to show himself – and faces Zverev next

Zverev goes on to face British quantity one Arthur Fery in the quarter-finals – a repeat of their Wimbledon semi-final.

Fery, 24, made an surprising run to the SW19 last 4 in July, but continued to show he belongs among the world’s best with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 win over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in Vienna.

Trailing 4-2 in the decider, Fery confirmed his mental fortitude by breaking straight back and then overcoming what appeared to be cramp to serve out an spectacular victory.

It is simple to overlook Fery is still inexperienced at the elite degree following his Wimbledon heroics.

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Beating former world quantity 5 Musetti – now ranked twenty sixth after harm – represents his largest win by rating on the common ATP Tour and supplies another alternative to take a look at himself against the very best.

However, Cameron Norrie fell short of his best victory of the season when world quantity 5 Daniil Medvedev saved match level to win their last-16 match.

A irritating yr has seen Norrie drop to forty first in the world rankings and exit each of the previous three Grand Slam tournaments in the first spherical.

But the 31-year-old confirmed his key attributes – tenacity, athleticism and managed aggression – to threaten a large upset against Medvedev.

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Third seed Medvedev, recent from successful the Almaty title last week, was left angrily punching the floor when he fell a break down in the deciding set.

Norrie served for the match at 5-3 40-30, but Medvedev picked off his opponent’s serve-volley attempt and fought back to win 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1).

Elsewhere, second seed Alcaraz progressed with a 6-1 7-6 (13-11) win over Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.