Alexander Zverev is set to become the year-end world No. 1 after Jannik Sinner announced an early end to his 2026 season, yet the German has admitted he would prefer to see the Italian back on tour.
Until this year, Zverev was missing a Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking from his tennis CV. He has now won two Majors and is guaranteed to reach the top of the rankings following Sinner's announcement.
Zverev's first Grand Slam trophy came at Roland Garros, when Sinner wilted in the heat during a shock second-round defeat. His second came at the US Open, which the 2024 champion missed altogether.
Anti-climactic path to No. 1
The 29-year-old will claim the world No. 1 position in an anti-climactic fashion after Sinner announced earlier this month that he was ending his 2026 season to undergo treatment for a knee injury. The five-time Major champion has not played a match since beating Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July and won't be seen until January at the earliest.
Sinner had been defending thousands of points in the second half of the season, as last year he finished runner-up at the US Open and then lifted trophies in Beijing, Vienna, Paris and Turin. Because those points are set to come off, Zverev will reach No. 1 for the first time in his career.
Depending on his own results in Shanghai and Vienna, the earliest the German can clinch the top spot is November 2. But he has already been guaranteed the year-end No. 1 position, as nobody will be able to overtake him in the 2026 standings now that Sinner is sidelined.
'I like competing with the best'
Had Sinner not been sidelined, things might have been different. The 25-year-old beat Zverev all five times they faced off in 2026. He has also not lost to the current world No. 2 in three years, winning in their last 10 meetings.
Still, Zverev has admitted that he'd rather see Sinner healthy and competing. "I know that many people think it's good for me that he's not on the tour. But I don't think so. I'm not that kind of person," the two-time Grand Slam champion told Sky Sports Italy.
"I like competing with the best in the world, and even if Jannik has beaten me many times this year, I would like him to be on the tour with me. I hope he can return soon to play the most important tournaments in the world. He is one of the best tennis players and deserves to be there."
Zverev backs Sinner's recovery approach
Zverev also knows what it's like to spend a lot of time on the sidelines. In 2022, he snapped ligaments in his ankle during the French Open semi-finals and was sidelined for the rest of the season. While he doesn't want to compare their injuries, the German believes Sinner has done the right thing by trying to treat his knee injury and not rushing back.
"My stop in 2022 was different from Sinner's. My injury was sudden. I needed seven months to get back on the court, which wasn't long anyway, and then a year to get my tennis back. I don't think Sinner will need that much time, because he has nothing broken. At least that's what I understood," he added.
"I think it's right that he wants to take his time. With inflammation, it's important to treat it so that it heals once and for all. These injuries tend to recur if they aren't treated properly."
