Alexander Zverev Officially Takes the Lead: Jannik Sinner Steps Down After More Than Six Months

Alexander Zverev will be the new No. 1 in the ATP rankings starting Monday. The German, after weeks of chasing Jannik Sinner (who has been sidelined since Wimbledon due to an injury that will keep him out of action until the end of 2026), has secured the points needed to reach the top of the world tennis rankings for the first time in his career, thanks to a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Tallon Griekspoor in the round of 16 at the Erste Bank Open, the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna.

Even if Zverev were to lose in the next round, he would have 9,450 points in the rankings, the same as Jannik Sinner but with the tiebreaker in Sascha’s favor, as he has earned just 10 more points over the past 365 days in Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Finals, and the mandatory Masters 1000 events.

Sinner thus ends his third reign as world No. 1, more than six months after he overtook Carlos Alcaraz on April 13 to reclaim the top spot on the men’s tour. Jannik had previously held the top spot from June 10, 2024, to September 7, 2025, and again from November 3 to 9, 2025.

For Zverev, this is his first-ever time at the top: The German’s achievement rewards not only prestigious results, such as his victory at Roland Garros, but also great physical consistency and performance, unlike Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who instead had to contend with a season marred by injuries.

It had been more than thirty-five years since the German flag had virtually flown atop the ATP’s imaginary podium: the last German player to achieve this was Boris Becker, who, between July 8 and September 7, 1991, enjoyed the second and final peak of his tennis career.