Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish the year as the top-ranked ATP player after the best season of his career, which included his first two Grand Slam titles.
Grand Slam breakthrough
The German won the French Open, beating Flavio Cobolli in the final to claim his first major trophy. He followed that by edging past Ben Shelton in the US Open final last month in New York.
Those victories have propelled Zverev up the rankings, and he will almost certainly head into next year's Australian Open as the top seed.
Injury absences
Some might argue his Grand Slam triumphs were aided by the absences of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz was the defending champion at the French Open but did not play at Roland Garros due to a wrist injury, which kept him sidelined until the US Open.
He returned at Flushing Meadows but was knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual runner-up Ben Shelton. Alcaraz would not have faced Zverev until the final, as they were on opposing sides of the draw.
Sinner was eliminated from the French Open in the second round by Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He then withdrew from the US Open due to a right knee injury, which later ended his season early.
Debate over ranking
Although those setbacks helped Zverev achieve Grand Slam glory, they were out of his control. Whether he would be top of the ATP rankings had Alcaraz and Sinner stayed fit is another question, with many arguing he would still be third if the duo had been luckier with injuries.
