Zverev becomes world No. 1 for first time after Vienna Open victory
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineGermany’s Alexander Zverev has secured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career after defeating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the Vienna Open on Thursday.
The 29-year-old had already been assured of finishing the season at the top of the ATP rankings, but victories over Martin Landaluce and Griekspoor in Vienna have confirmed that he will replace Jannik Sinner as the world’s highest-ranked player in Monday’s updated standings.
Zverev becomes only the 30th male player to reach the top of the rankings since their introduction in 1973.
At 29 years and 196 days when the new rankings are published, he will also become the second-oldest player to reach the world No. 1 position for the first time, behind Australian John Newcombe.
The German has enjoyed an outstanding 2026 season, breaking his Grand Slam title drought by winning the French Open and US Open.
His rise to the top was also facilitated by Sinner’s decision to end his season in early October because of a knee injury, creating an opportunity for Zverev to claim the position ahead of next month’s season-ending ATP Finals.
The Hamburg-born player secured his historic achievement after overcoming Spain’s Landaluce and Griekspoor in his opening two matches in the Austrian capital.
Zverev had to battle back from the brink against Landaluce on Tuesday, saving four match points before progressing from their first-round encounter.
However, he produced a more comfortable performance against Griekspoor, defeating the Dutchman in straight sets to confirm his place in tennis history.
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The German made an immediate statement by breaking Griekspoor’s serve in the opening game before confidently serving out the first set.
The second set remained closely contested until 5-5, when Zverev capitalised on an opportunity to break his opponent’s serve and move within a game of victory.
The match briefly encountered an unusual interruption when Zverev’s smash struck part of the electronic advertising board behind Griekspoor, causing a malfunction just as the German approached match point.
After the umpire covered the affected section with a towel, play resumed and Zverev sealed the victory with an unreturnable serve, confirming his historic rise to the top of the world rankings.
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