Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the world’s No. 1 tennis player after Carlos Alcaraz lost to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 on Monday, the ATP announced.
Zverev had already been assured of reaching the top spot because current No. 1 Jannik Sinner is sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury and will lose the ranking points he earned during the same period last year. Alcaraz’s defeat in Shanghai now means he can no longer overtake the German before the season ends.
The 29-year-old will officially become world No. 1 for the first time in his career on November 2, after the Vienna tournament. He won his first two Grand Slam titles this year at Roland-Garros and the US Open.
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“It’s a fantastic season for me, with victories in Paris and New York, and knowing that I will finish the year at the top of the rankings is a dream come true,” Zverev said on the ATP website.
He remains in contention in Shanghai and will face Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the round of 16.
Sinner enjoyed a strong finish to the 2025 season, winning the Vienna ATP 500, the Paris Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals in Turin. He defeated Zverev at all three events, and his withdrawal this season will cost him more than a quarter of his current ranking points.
