Medvedev 'teams up' with Zverev and defends his status as the best player in the world

Much has been said in recent weeks about Alexander Zverev and his future role as the number one in the world tennis rankings. There is no doubt that the German is the best player of the year in the Grand Slams: his performance is outstanding, with two titles, one final, and one semifinal. No one has matched those levels of consistency and winning ability, but many question his performance against the best players in the world, his results against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz... and, of course, they try to undermine the legitimacy of his future reign over the men's circuit.

What do the players think? The truth is that we have seen constant displays of support for Sascha, backed by his peers as a more than legitimate heir to the throne. We perhaps did not expect the latest endorsement to come from one of his fiercest rivals, a generational peer who has often been compared to him. We are talking about Daniil Medvedev, who was asked in Almaty, the location of his most recent title, whether the German deserves to be the number one in the world. As always, the Moscovite is a guy who speaks his mind: he took a pragmatic approach to respond but emphasized that the German will occupy the top spot for a compelling reason, giving him a nice defense.

Medvedev, asked if Zverev has truly earned No. 1 rank: "Sometimes on social media they are, like, 'How is this guy Top 10?!' Well, you know how? Last 52 weeks he won more points than other guys <...> Sascha deserves it 100%" Full press conference: https://t.co/4oroLOlnYX https://t.co/RweeCMnUIJ

— Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) October 25, 2026

Medvedev defended the points system and Zverev 

Daniil is a fervent admirer of the points system that governs this sport, and he relies on it to assert that no one deserves more than Sascha to end the season as the absolute king. His reflection is profound and opens up debate. "In terms of ranking, I am convinced that there is no other sport that is fairer than tennis. There are literally 52 weeks in which you earn points for everything you play and win. No one can dispute that. 

Sometimes you go on social media and see people saying, 'How is it possible that this guy is in the top-10?' Well, do you know why? Because in the last 52 weeks, he won more points than other guys, and those earned points are what allow him to be in the top-10. I believe this system is the fairest part of tennis.", the Russian stated confidently, not hesitating to mention the name of Jannik Sinner, introducing the only 'but' in his discourse.

"Probably, if Jannik had been healthy... he had many significant opportunities to earn more points, but that is part of the sport, unfortunate for him. Sascha deserves to be number one in the world, 100%". A final categorical statement that dispels any shared blame for the injuries of Sinner and Alcaraz and gives all the credit to someone who has historically been one of his fiercest rivals. What do you think of these words? Do you agree with the Russian's reflection on the fairness of the current points system in the ATP ranking, or would you like to see changes that put more emphasis on the significance of each player's victories?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev "se alía" con Zverev y defiende su estatus como mejor jugador del mundo