Can Zverev end the year as the number one in the world?

Carlos Navarro - 14 Sep 2026 | 15:53
Alexander Zverev ATP número 1 ranking ATP Jannik Sinner

The German sets his goals and hopes on a possible new feat: he will need to accumulate many points to beat Sinner and finish the season as the best.

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Zverev could be the next world number one.

Alexander Zverev is the best player of the year when it comes to Grand Slams... but that doesn't necessarily mean he will end 2026 as number one in the world. In fact, the German faces an extremely complex task that will require the consistency and solidity he has shown in the Majors: on the other side of this appointment is the unflappable Jannik Sinner, who, if he returns healthy for the Asian tour, will likely be the favorite to finish this campaign at the top of the ATP ranking.

Many, when looking at the world ranking today, will still doubt the German's chances. Some might even think, of course, that there is no existing debate: the player from San Candido leads by almost 2000 points over the one from Hamburg, a comfortable margin for a time of year when no Grand Slam points are still up for grabs. However, the extraordinary rush finish of the Italian in 2025, the surface we are moving to now, and the magnificent form of Sascha are more than enough reasons for the debate to be alive, making it an additional incentive to follow what remains of the season.

Can Zverev snatch the number one position from Sinner at the end of the season?

Perhaps the calculations are clearer than they seem. They boil down to one principle: Sinner needs to earn more than 700 points than Zverev for the remainder of the season. And yes, we focus on the Italian, as we enter the ninth month of the campaign, many eyes are on the ATP Race, which will determine who bids farewell to 2026 at the top... and there, just accounting for the points earned this season, Zverev is leading.

The reality is that Jannik has barely one tournament where he can earn points from now until the end of the season. That is Shanghai, where he fell due to cramps and physical issues against Griekspoor last season: that third round gives him some leeway, but with the asterisk that he returns fully recovered from his injury. What else? Titles in Beijing, Vienna, Paris, and ATP Finals; at most, Sinner could maintain his current points cushion (and he would have to win everything), while Sascha still has room to maneuver to add points.

At this moment, Zverev leads Jannik by 700 points in the yearly ranking (8650 to 7950 points). The impressive figures of the German in the Slams, reaching up to three finals, surpass the incredible numbers of the Italian in Masters 1000 (champion of five of them). For Sinner, of course, it is a priority to start accumulating titles in the most important tournaments: there are still more than 4000 points at stake (two Masters 1000, the ATP Finals, and even two ATP 500), with ample margin for a comeback, provided, of course, he maintains the same level of success he achieved last year.

To make matters worse, we enter the domain of Sascha Zverev: the German is, most likely, the second best in the world on indoor hard courts... just behind Jannik himself, who was his executioner in the final in Vienna and the semifinals in Paris in 2025. Perhaps, a victory in a direct matchup in a final round of these tournaments, even without being a Slam, could be the definitive dagger that tips the scales in Sascha's favor and in some way "legitimizes" his candidacy for the final throne. They would only face each other in the finals of the tournaments, and their calendars go through the same venues: Beijing and Vienna as ATP 500, Shanghai and Paris as Masters 1000, the ATP Finals as the final showdown. A title would bring Sascha much closer to his goal... but the player from San Candido has shown he can win it all, and if he manages to accomplish it, he would secure the number one position by the end of 2026. Who dares more?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Puede acabar Zverev el año como número uno del mundo?