Zverev seals world No. 1 with Vienna win over Griekspoor

A win that rewrote the rankings

Alexander Zverev is going to be world No. 1. The 29-year-old German made certain of that on Thursday, 29 October 2026, beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in the last 16 of the Vienna Open, and he sealed the victory — and the ranking — in the most fitting way possible: with an ace.

When the new ATP rankings are published on Monday, 2 November, Zverev will overtake Jannik Sinner and take top spot for the first time in his career. He will become only the 30th man to hold the No. 1 ranking since the rankings were introduced in 1973, and Germany's second men's No. 1 after Boris Becker, who first reached the summit in 1991.

It is the crowning moment of a season that has already transformed Zverev's career. Long described as tennis's nearly-man, he broke his Grand Slam duck in 2026, winning titles at the French Open and the US Open. Now he has added the ranking that, for years, seemed just out of reach.

Sealed with an ace — after a bizarre delay

Zverev was in control for much of the match against Griekspoor, the world No. 50 from the Netherlands. He broke in the very first game, served confidently to take the opening set, and, according to Tennis Majors, did not face a single break point all match. He won all 11 of his service games, struck 11 aces, won 90 per cent of points behind his first serve (35 of 39), and finished with 30 winners against 10 unforced errors, compared with 21 and 17 for Griekspoor.

The second set stayed tight until 5-5, when Zverev pounced on Griekspoor's serve to move ahead. Then came an unexpected interruption. As Zverev brought up match point, a smash damaged part of the electronic board behind Griekspoor, and play paused while the umpire covered the malfunctioning panel with a towel. Zverev held his nerve after the delay and closed out the match with an unreturnable serve.

The win was his 64th of the season, the most on the ATP Tour, and took him to a tour-leading 13th quarter-final of 2026. It also ended Griekspoor's six-match winning streak.

In his opening match on Tuesday, he had saved four match points to beat Spanish wildcard Martin Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(11).

The ceremony and the wait

Victory was followed by an on-court ceremony, with Zverev joined by his team and by Thomas Muster, the only Austrian to have topped the rankings, to mark the feat. Zverev, who will be aged 29 years and 196 days when Monday's rankings are published, will become the second-oldest first-time world No. 1 after Australian John Newcombe. "[It is] very special. To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing," Zverev said on court. "It's different than winning a tournament, winning a title, but it's such a special feeling to know that the number one is going to be next to your name when the new rankings come out."

He added: "I had to wait, but sometimes you've got to wait for the best things in life. So it is how it is. I'm super happy, super thrilled. This year, I mean, I have no words for this year. Again, I'm just thankful. I'm happy and all of the above."

Why the door opened

Zverev would be the first to admit that injuries to his two great rivals eased his ascent. Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, between them, won every Grand Slam title in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Sinner decided to end his season in early October to recover from a knee injury, opening the way for Zverev to dethrone him.

Alcaraz, the world No. 3, was in action in Vienna earlier on Thursday and also reached the quarter-finals, saving four set points to beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6(11). The tie-break finished 13-11.

Zverev had already been assured of finishing the season as year-end No. 1 before Vienna, after winning his opening two matches in the Austrian capital confirmed the top spot for next week. He won the Vienna title in 2021, and he will now face Britain's Arthur Fery in the quarter-finals, a repeat of their Wimbledon semi-final, which Zverev won in straight sets. Fery reached the last eight by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

A ranking nearly won four years ago

For Zverev, No. 1 also closes a painful chapter. He came close to taking the top ranking in 2022 at the French Open, but tore ankle ligaments in his semi-final against Rafael Nadal and missed the rest of the season. Four years on, the wait is over. The ankle injury, the near-misses in major finals before 2026, and the label of nearly-man have all been answered in a single remarkable season: two Grand Slam titles, the year-end No. 1 spot secured, and now the weekly No. 1 ranking itself, sealed with an ace in Vienna.

Ahead lies the season-ending ATP Finals in November, where Zverev will arrive not as a challenger to the top spot but as its holder. First, though, there is a Vienna title still to chase — and, after Thursday's ceremony, a new line next to his name when Monday's rankings appear.