Alexander Zverev set to become second German man ranked world No. 1

Alexander Zverev is set to become the new world No. 1 in men’s tennis after reaching the quarter-finals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, according to DW. The German will replace Italy’s Jannik Sinner when the updated rankings are published.

The ranking milestone follows what DW describes as a breakthrough season for the Hamburg-born player. The report says Zverev won both the French Open and US Open, ending a career pattern in which he repeatedly came close to major titles without securing one. Zverev said the achievement felt different from winning an individual tournament.

“To have the feeling to be on the top of the world is amazing,” he said, adding that it was special to know the No. 1 ranking would appear beside his name. He will be the second German man to reach the summit of the rankings, following Boris Becker, who achieved the feat about 35 years ago.

Among German women, Steffi Graf and Angelique Kerber have also held the top position in the WTA rankings. DW said Zverev will become the second-oldest player to reach No. 1 for the first time, behind Australia’s John Newcombe.

The report did not provide the exact age at which Newcombe achieved that distinction. The season has also included an Olympic achievement for Zverev, who won the men’s singles gold medal at the 2021 Games. His progress has come amid competition from Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, whom DW identified as major rivals in the recent period.

Zverev’s consistency was reflected in another statistic cited by DW: he became only the ninth man to reach at least the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. That run, combined with his titles, helped him accumulate enough ranking points to move above Sinner. The ranking change is subject to the publication of the new standings, but DW presents the Vienna quarter-final as the result that secured Zverev’s ascent.

His rise gives Germany another men’s No. 1 more than three decades after Becker’s achievement and adds a new distinction to a season already defined by major titles.