Zverev Clinches 2026 ATP Year-End No. 1, Becoming First German Man to Top the Rankings

Alexander Zverev will end 2026 as the best player in men's tennis. The German mathematically locked up the ATP's year-end No. 1 ranking on Monday, when unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs stunned Carlos Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6(4) in the Shanghai Masters round of 32, a result that put the summit out of reach for every remaining rival.

The ATP Tour confirmed the milestone the same day, announcing that Zverev becomes the first German man in history to finish a season ranked No. 1 and, at 29, the oldest player ever to earn the year-end crown for the first time. His resume made the case: a tour-leading 60 wins and his first two Grand Slam titles, at the French Open and the US Open, where he defeated Ben Shelton in the final.

Zverev's path was aided by misfortune elsewhere. Jannik Sinner, the defending year-end No. 1, has not played since beating Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12 because of a knee injury, and will miss the rest of the season including the ATP Finals in Turin. Alcaraz lost nearly five months to a wrist injury before returning at the US Open.

Not everyone has celebrated the achievement. Some critics have questioned the legitimacy of Zverev's rise, pointing to the absences around him, but Boris Becker came to his countryman's defense this week, dismissing the arguments as nonsense on his podcast alongside Andrea Petkovic and insisting the accomplishment stands on its own merits.