Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to become the year-end world No. 1 after lifting his first two Major titles, but a poll of Express Sport readers shows that 74 per cent do not believe he is the best player in the world right now.
The German can reach the top of the rankings as early as November 2, provided he reaches the semi-finals of next week's Vienna Open. Should he lose earlier, he will have to wait longer for that honour.
Injury-hit season opens the door
Zverev's rise comes after an injury-filled season on the ATP Tour. Carlos Alcaraz was sidelined for almost five months with a wrist injury, missing the French Open and Wimbledon. Current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has been out since July with a knee injury and recently shut down his 2026 season altogether.
In their absences, Zverev seized his opportunity, winning his first two Major titles – first at Roland Garros, then at the US Open. He also finished runner-up to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, which turned out to be the Italian's last match of the year.
Sinner was defending thousands of points at the end of the season, having won the Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and ATP Finals. As those points come off, Zverev will finally overtake him and reach the top of the table.
Fans and players weigh in
Asked whether the two-time Major winner was the best player in the world right now, 74 per cent of Express Sport voters said no. Only 24 per cent answered yes, while three per cent said they didn't know.
Not everyone agrees. Alcaraz recently suggested that Zverev was the best player in the world. But the 29-year-old himself admitted that his rivals were winning more when they were fit and healthy.
“It's a super nice thing to say, of course… But I don't really know what to answer to that. I try to do my job as best as I can. I try to play the best tennis that I can,” he told Express Sport at last month's Laver Cup.
“I think, when everybody was healthy, Carlos won the Australian Open, Jannik was winning a lot of tournaments before the French Open, so I try to keep up with them. I try to do everything I can to be competitive with them. If they see me that way right now, that's a big honour.”
Although he will soon reach the top spot, Zverev has not won any of his matches against Alcaraz, Sinner or Novak Djokovic in 2026. He led Alcaraz 5-3 in the final set of the Australian Open semi-final before the Spaniard stormed back to win the last four games in a row, sealing victory. Sinner went 5-0 against Zverev this year, while Djokovic beat him at the recent China Open in Beijing.
Defence and next steps
WTA No. 4 Jessica Pegula has come out in defence of Zverev. “He won two Slams, and the other guys are hurt. What are you going to do? Some people are like, 'He is not the true No. 1'. Who cares?” she said on the Players Box Podcast, which she co-hosts.
After guaranteeing the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career, Zverev recently said: “It's very, very special. It's different from winning big tournaments or Grand Slams. It's a different sort of feeling. As the World No. 1, you have a responsibility on your shoulders, but I'm looking forward to that.”
The German will now be in action at next week's Vienna Open, which also features Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Flavio Cobolli.
