Zverev clinches year-end No. 1, a first for a German player

Alexander Zverev will finish 2026 as the world No. 1. The German clinched the year-end top spot on Monday without hitting a ball, when Carlos Alcaraz lost 7-5, 7-6(4) to Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. That result left nobody able to catch him in the race.

According to the ATP, the 29-year-old is the oldest player to secure year-end No. 1 for the first time. He is also the first German to finish a season at the top of the ATP Rankings. Boris Becker held the No. 1 spot in 1991, but never ended a year there.

"A dream come true"

"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 told the ATP's website. He also mentioned his comeback from the serious ankle injury he suffered in the 2022 Roland Garros semi-final.

The numbers support him. Zverev won his first two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open this year, after losing in three previous major finals. He also reached the Australian Open semi-finals and the Wimbledon final. He arrived in Shanghai with a Tour-leading 58 match wins, and his three-set win over Quentin Halys on Sunday made it 60 for the season.

How the race was decided

The decisive blow came in early October. Jannik Sinner, the current No. 1, announced last week that he would miss the rest of the season with inflammation in his right knee. He has not played since the Wimbledon final against Zverev in July. Going into Shanghai, Sinner was second in the Live Race to Turin, 810 points behind the German, and could add nothing more.

Paul ends Bergs' Shanghai run after Alcaraz upset, faces Medvedev next

That left only Alcaraz and Ben Shelton, who trailed by more than 4,000 points each. The ATP said Zverev would clinch if he reached the Shanghai semi-finals or if both of them lost. Shelton fell to French debutant Arthur Géa on Sunday, and Alcaraz followed against Bergs on Monday.

There is one twist, however. Zverev is currently No. 2 and will not overtake Sinner on the live rankings straight after Shanghai. He is expected to rise to the top before the season ends on 23 November.

Bublik up next

The rankings question is settled, but Zverev still has unfinished business in Shanghai, where he leads the field as top seed. The top seed survived an ankle scare against Wu earlier in the week and now faces Alexander Bublik in the fourth round on Tuesday. Bergs, the man who effectively handed him the year-end crown, plays Tommy Paul for a place in the quarter-finals. Paul had earlier knocked out defending champion Valentin Vacherot.