Alexander Zverev Reaches Summit: German Star To Become World No 1 For First Time Following Historic Vienna Title

Alexander Zverev will reach world No. 1 for the first time on Monday after getting past Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in the round of 16 at Vienna's Erste Bank Open on Thursday, October 29. That result ensures the 29-year-old German will overtake Jannik Sinner when the ATP rankings come out on November 2, no matter what happens later in the tournament. His promotion had already been locked in by season's end; the Vienna result simply fixed the timing.

The ranking leap means more than another trophy. Zverev has spent years among the elite in men's tennis, reaching Grand Slam finals and winning major titles without ever holding the sport's top ranking.

It also closes a loop that began in 2022. A serious injury at Roland Garros ended his earlier push for No. 1, leaving him away from competition for months and delaying a milestone that had looked within reach.

Vienna Victory Details

One ace finished it.

Zverev ended the match with an ace against Griekspoor, sealing the moment when his climb to the top became official. That outcome means he will take over as the world's highest-ranked men's singles player on Monday regardless of the rest of his run in Vienna.

Afterward, he could barely contain his excitement. “To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing,” Zverev said. “It is different than winning a tournament or a title, but it's such a special feeling to know that the No. 1 is going to be next to your name when the new rankings come out.”

An on-court ceremony followed, with Zverev joined by members of his team and Thomas Muster, the former Austrian tennis player who remains the only man from Austria to top the men's rankings.

Milestone And Records

The rise puts Zverev in rare company.

Since the ATP rankings were introduced in 1973, he will become the 30th man to hold the No. 1 spot. He will also be only the second German man to get there, following Boris Becker, who first reached the position in 1991.

That mark adds another distinction: Zverev will be the oldest first-time world No. 1 since Australia's John Newcombe reached the summit at 30 in 1974, just a year after the rankings system was established.

The breakthrough comes after what Zverev has described as an exceptional season. He has won both the French Open and the US Open, and those victories have helped lift him to the top even as injuries have slowed some of his closest rivals. Zverev has also said the timing of the move reflects the circumstances around those rivals, who have dominated the biggest events in recent seasons.

Rivals' Setbacks

The opening widened this month.

Sinner, who had been No. 1, said in early October that inflammation in his right knee would end his season early. The Italian will therefore be unable to defend the ranking points he earned in the campaign's remaining events.

Alcaraz, third in the rankings, has also dealt with injury interruptions. Still, the Spaniard was in action in Vienna on Thursday, and the six-time Grand Slam champion beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6(11), saving four set points in the second set to move on.

Those setbacks changed the race at the top. Sinner's absence and Alcaraz's disrupted campaign opened the door for Zverev, especially after the pair had split every Grand Slam title across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Injury Setback Recalled

The delay began in Paris.

Zverev came close to world No. 1 in 2022 before a French Open injury derailed his campaign. In his Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal, he suffered torn ankle ligaments and was forced to withdraw.

That injury kept him out for the rest of the season, interrupting a stretch in which he was pushing for the sport's biggest honours.

Four years later, he has finally reached the point. “I had to wait, but sometimes you've got to wait for the best things in life,” Zverev said. “So it is how it is. I'm super happy, super thrilled. This year, I mean, I have no words for this year. Again, I'm just thankful. I'm happy and all of the above.”

Official Ranking Change

The change becomes official on Monday.

When the new rankings are released, Zverev will begin his first spell as world No. 1 at 29, completing a career milestone that had stayed beyond his reach despite years among the game's leading contenders.