Zverev to finish year as ATP world No. 1 after Alcaraz defeat and Sinner withdrawal

Alexander Zverev clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking on Monday (October 12, 2026) after results in Shanghai, the ATP Tour announced, with Carlos Alcaraz's defeat and Jannik Sinner's season-ending injury combining to secure the position for the 29-year-old.

Zverev capped a breakthrough season by winning both the French Open and the U.S. Open and also reached the Australian Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final; before this year his best Grand Slam outcomes had been three finals.

The immediate trigger for Zverev becoming assured of finishing the year at the top came when No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by Zizou Bergs in Shanghai.

Sinner, who has not played since beating Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July, announced last week that he is sitting out the rest of the season because of inflammation in his right knee.

“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,” Zverev said. “So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury,” Zverev added, referring to when he severely twisted his right ankle during a 2022 French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal and was pushed away in a wheelchair.

Zverev is next due to play Alexander Bublik in the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday (October 13).

Zverev is currently No. 2 but will overtake No. 1 Sinner before the season ends next month; in 2024 he finished as year-end No. 2 for the first time.