Zverev vents his frustration after overtaking Jannik Sinner

Alexander Zverev made all his dreams come true in 2026: after winning the first two Grand Slams of his career, the German tennis player became the world No. 1. He will overtake Jannik Sinner on Monday and claim the top spot on the ATP tour for the first time—a lifelong goal.

“It’s a special feeling; you have to be very consistent and maintain a very high level throughout the year to get to this point. Reaching this milestone at almost 30 years old is a special feeling, because you never know how much time you have to achieve something like this,” said the German tennis player, who is currently competing in the Vienna tournament.

Zverev will postpone the celebrations, however: he wants to prove he deserves this ranking. “I’ll wait until the end of the week and maybe do something small, because I’ll be back on the court in Paris on Tuesday or Wednesday. Our season continues—it’s not over yet. When the year ends, I’ll definitely take a break. I’ll go to the Maldives, as always. But now I have to focus on the last three tournaments: a Masters 1000, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup. And Vienna.”

Sasha has maintained enviable form all year: “I still feel good, and there’s still a lot to win. I have to stay focused on what lies ahead.”

He mathematically secured the lead on Thursday, 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 he were to lose in the next round, Zverev would remain at 9,450 points—the same as Sinner—but with the tiebreaker in his favor. In the special ranking based on points earned over the last 365 days across Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, and mandatory Masters 1000 events, the German leads the Italian by just ten points: 8,360 to 8,350.