Alexander Zverev will become the men’s tennis world No. 1 for the first time on Monday, November 2, after beating Tallon Griekspoor in Vienna on October 29. The German won 6-4, 7-5 to reach the Erste Bank Open quarter-finals, according to the tournament’s report.
AFP reported that the 29-year-old was already assured of ending 2026 at the top of the ATP rankings. Thursday’s result settled when he would replace Italy’s Jannik Sinner: the change will take effect in Monday’s updated list, rather than immediately after the match.
The tournament said Zverev will be the 30th man to reach No. 1 and the second German after Boris Becker, who first held the position in 1991. The milestone follows his first two Grand Slam titles, at Roland Garros and the US Open earlier this year.
Against Griekspoor, Zverev needed 95 minutes and broke serve once in each set, the tournament reported. He struck 11 aces and won 35 of 39 points behind his first serve. The victory extended his record against the Dutchman to 10 wins and three defeats.
In comments carried by the tournament and Spanish newspaper AS, Zverev described the prospect of seeing No. 1 beside his name as a special feeling, different from winning a title. He said the ranking had been an important motivation and expressed satisfaction with his performance.
The win took his season record to 64-16 and sent him into his 13th quarter-final of 2026, the most on tour, according to tournament statistics. His next opponent in Vienna is Britain’s Arthur Fery, who defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to earn a place in the last eight.
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