Alexander Zverev will become world No. 1 for the first time when the new ATP rankings are published on Monday, after beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 to reach the Vienna Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
The 29-year-old German ensured he would overtake Jannik Sinner at the top of the rankings by winning his opening two matches in the Austrian capital. He will become Germany’s second men’s world No. 1 after Boris Becker in 1991, and only the 30th man to top the rankings since they were introduced in 1973.
Zverev sealed the milestone with an ace, after a brief stoppage at match point when a smash off his racquet damaged part of the electronic board behind Griekspoor and the umpire covered the panel with a towel. He was then joined on court by his team and by Thomas Muster, the only Austrian to have topped the rankings, for a ceremony marking the feat.
A breakthrough season capped in Vienna
Zverev’s rise caps a stellar 2026 season in which he broke his Grand Slam duck with titles at the French Open and the US Open. He had already been assured of finishing the season as the year-end No. 1, but the Vienna win brings the top ranking forward to next week’s standings.
His path in Vienna was far from smooth. In his first-round match he saved four match points against Spain’s Martin Landaluce before advancing, and he was far more comfortable against Griekspoor, breaking once in each set in a match lasting one hour and 35 minutes. According to ATP Tour figures cited in reports, he fired 11 aces and won 35 of his 39 first-serve points, improving his head-to-head record against Griekspoor, last week’s Brussels champion, to 10-3.
Zverev, who will be aged 29 years and 196 days when Monday’s rankings are published, will be the second-oldest first-time world No. 1 after Australian John Newcombe.
Why the door opened now
The route to the top opened when Sinner, the current world No. 1, ended his season at the start of October to recover from a knee injury. Sinner announced on October 6 that he would not play again in 2026. World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was also in action in Vienna on Thursday, saving four set points to beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6(11).
Zverev would be the first to admit, as reports noted, that injuries to Sinner and Alcaraz — who between them won every Grand Slam title in the 2024 and 2025 seasons — eased his ascent. That context does not diminish the achievement: reaching No. 1 still required winning the two biggest titles of his career and sustaining that form through the season.
What comes next
Zverev will play Britain’s Arthur Fery, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, for a place in the Vienna semi-finals. Beyond Vienna, the season-ending ATP Finals next month will be his first tournament as the world’s top-ranked player — a status he has chased since first breaking into the elite of the men’s game.
Frequently asked questions
When will Zverev officially become world No. 1? When the new ATP rankings are published on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Who was the last German man to top the rankings? Boris Becker, in 1991.
How did Zverev secure the ranking? By beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in the Vienna Open last 16, his second win of the tournament, which guaranteed he would overtake Jannik Sinner.
Sources
AFP via Malay Mail, “Zverev ‘on top of the world’ after securing top spot in ATP rankings” (October 30, 2026); Reuters via Straits Times / CNA, “Zverev ensures ascent to number one ranking with Vienna victory” (October 30, 2026); Sportstar, “Zverev secures number one ranking after reaching Vienna Open quarterfinal” (October 30, 2026).
