Zverev delighted to become Tennis World number one after Griekspoor win
Alexander Zverev has expressed delight after securing the men’s world number one ranking following his victory over Tallon Griekspoor at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Zverev produced a dominant performance to brush aside Griekspoor 6-4 7-5 to qualify for the quarter-finals.
He was already guaranteed to end the year as the world number one following his impressive performances in 2026.
He has won two Grand Slams, he has also won 64 out of 80 matches so far.
Zverev will be officially announced as the world number one on Monday when the ATP release the rankings.
The German player has been consistent in the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have both battled with injuries.
Sinner, who started the year as the world number one, has missed five major tournaments, while Carlos Alcaraz has missed five.
Zverev admitted that reaching the top of the rankings meant something different from winning a tournament, describing it as a special moment after years of waiting.
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He said: He said: “It’s been a wait but sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life.
“It is different than winning a tournament or a title, but it’s such a special feeling to know that the No 1 is going to be next to your name when the new rankings come out. I’m super happy and super thrilled.
He added: I was super focused, super motivated for multiple reasons, but No 1 was definitely a big subject, and I think I played a very good match and I am very happy about that.”
He will become the second German player to occupy the position after Boris Becker in 1991.
The 29-year-old will also become the second oldest player to top the rankings for the first time.
Zverev will also become the 30th player to reach the summit since the rankings were introduced in 1973.
The top-ranked player is the player who, over the previous 52 weeks, has garnered the most ranking points on the ATP Tour.
Points are awarded based on how far a player advances in tournaments and the category of those tournaments.
The ATP has used a computerized system for determining the rankings since August 23, 1973.
