Alexander Zverev’s long wait for No. 1 ranking comes in dominant tennis season

Alexander Zverev finally rose to No. 1 in the men’s tennis rankings on Monday, a reward for a dominant season during which he shed his reputation as a talented underachiever and became a two-time Grand Slam champion.

Zverev won the French Open and the U.S. Open, putting to rest his tag as the best player yet to win a Grand Slam. He’s guaranteed the year-end No. 1 ranking, too.

“It’s a very special day, for sure,” Zverev said in Paris, where he is set to compete in the Paris Masters this week.

“Paris has been quite special to me this year, generally. It’s a place where I had a lot of up-and-downs, I had a lot of heartbreak, but this year, winning my first Grand Slam here and becoming world No. 1, it’s a very special feeling.”

He became the 30th man to reach No. 1, and the oldest in more than 50 years to top the rankings for the first time. John Newcombe was 30 when he reached the top spot in 1974.

Zverev reached the rankings summit more than four years after becoming No. 2.

“I had to wait,” he said. “But sometimes you’ve got to wait for the best things in life. I’m super happy, super thrilled.”

Despite winning two ATP Finals and an Olympic gold medal, Zverev lost his first three Grand Slam finals, none more disheartening than his first at the 2020 U.S. Open after leading Dominic Thiem two sets to love.

But he broke through this year, and also reached his first Wimbledon final, falling to Jannik Sinner.

He has a 65-17 win-loss record this year.

Zverev, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 4, is just the second German man to become No. 1 after Boris Becker.

Sinner, on top since April 13, dropped to second, followed by Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner announced the end of his season three weeks ago because of inflammation in his right knee. Alcaraz was hampered by injury and fatigue this season but has returned to full fitness and won the Vienna title on Sunday.

“I’m looking forward to the top two guys being healthy again, playing fully and competing with them,” Zverev said. He added he feels more confident on grass after struggling on the fast surface.

“I definitely feel like I can compete for all the four Grand Slams,” he said. “Hopefully getting a few more would be great for me.”

Among other notable moves in the rankings, 20-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar climbed to No. 10 less than a year after making this tour debut at the Australian Open. Jodar set a record for the fastest rise from debut to the top 10 — 287 days — breaking Gustavo Kuerten’s mark of 490 days.

Abuse allegations

Zverev’s ascension to the top ranking comes after two of his ex-girlfriends accused him of physical abuse.

One accusation from 2020 was resolved following an agreement between German prosecutors, lawyers for Zverev and his former partner. The ATP investigated another case and in January 2023 concluded there was insufficient evidence.

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