Mission accomplished: Zverev will be world No. 1 from Monday
A 6-4, 7-5 win over Tallon Griekspoor sent Alexander Zverev into the Vienna quarter-finals – and secured him top spot in the world rankings. He takes over on November 2.
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Alexander Zverev has reached his biggest career goal. The German beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in 96 minutes in the Erste Bank Open round of 16 and will be world No. 1 for the first time when the new rankings are published on Monday, November 2. "To be on the top of the world is very special," Zverev said, according to Tennis Majors. He is the 30th player to top the ATP rankings and only the second German after Boris Becker, who led for twelve weeks in 1991.
Against Griekspoor, who had won the Brussels title and was on a six-match winning streak, Zverev did not face a break point. According to Tennis Majors, he held all eleven service games, hit eleven aces and won 35 of 39 first-serve points. It was his 64th win of the season – the most on the ATP Tour. "Sometimes you have to wait for the good things in life," he said. Former world No. 1 Thomas Muster congratulated him at a short ceremony in Vienna.
Zverev replaces Jannik Sinner, who has ended his season early and still leads 10,450 points to 9,750. In the quarter-finals on Friday (not before 17:30 CET), the French Open and US Open champion faces Britain's Arthur Fery, who knocked out Lorenzo Musetti. Carlos Alcaraz meets Tommy Paul.