History made: Zverev to finish 2026 as world No. 1 – a first for Germany
Alcaraz's Shanghai loss to Zizou Bergs means Alexander Zverev will end the year atop the ATP rankings. No German has ever done so.
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Alexander Zverev will finish the 2026 tennis season as world No. 1. That was confirmed when Carlos Alcaraz lost 7-5, 7-6 (4) to Belgium's Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Monday. According to the ATP, Zverev is the first German to earn the honour; Boris Becker spent twelve weeks at No. 1 in 1991 but did not finish that year on top.
The official year-end rankings will be published on November 23, when Zverev will be 29 years and 217 days old – the oldest player to finish year-end No. 1 for the first time, three days older than Andre Agassi in 1999, the ATP said. He will take over at the top of the rankings on November 2 at the earliest, becoming the 30th player to reach No. 1. His titles at Roland Garros and the US Open laid the foundation. "It's been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York," Zverev said.
In Shanghai, the top seed faces Alexander Bublik in the fourth round on Tuesday. The winner meets Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals after the Australian beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4.