US Open champ Zverev set to claim world No. 1

Manila Times - Oct 13, 2026

SHANGHAI, China — Men’s tennis confirmed it will crown a new world No. 1 as Germany’s Alexander Zverev was ensured the year-end honor on Monday after Carlos Alcaraz lost his third-round match in Shanghai. The career-first will cap a stellar season for the 29-year-old, the current world No. 2, after he won the French Open in June and the US Open in September. The French Open was his first-ever Grand Slam title. “It’s been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true,” Zverev said in a statement shared by the ATP Tour website. “So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury,” Zverev added. He suffered a career-threatening ankle injury in his French Open semifinal in 2022. Zverev will be the first German male player to finish his season as top-ranked in the world, and the oldest to lift the trophy, set to be presented in November, for the first time. Germany’s Angelique Kerber and Steffi Graf have both been the year-end No. 1 women’s tennis player. Zverev’s achievement comes in a year where the...

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