“A situation I’m ready for”: Zverev, the new world No. 1, in his own words
Alexander Zverev (No. 1) sealed the world No. 1 ranking without facing a break point, beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 in Vienna to become the 30th man to top the ATP rankings. In his press conference, the German conceded that Jannik Sinner was the better player in the first half of the season and argued that fitness is part of being the best.
Alexander Zverev, Vienna 2026 | © Gepa / PsNewz
Alexander Zverev reached the top of men’s tennis without facing a single break point. The German, seed No. 1, beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday evening to reach the quarterfinals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, the result he needed to become world No. 1 on Nov. 2 and the 30th player to hold the ranking in ATP Tour history.
Then came the emotions, as he turned to his box and hugged his team. At 29, nearly 30, Zverev becomes the second-oldest player to reach No. 1 for the first time, and former world No. 1 Thomas Muster honored him in a ceremony in Vienna.
In his press conference, he conceded that Jannik Sinner was the better player in the first half of the season, argued that fitness is part of being the best and welcomed the Boris Becker record now within reach. His answers are translated from German, except the one on Sinner, which he gave mostly in English.
Alexander, how does it feel?
“It’s a special feeling. As I said on court, it’s something different from winning a tournament or a Grand Slam. It’s incredibly special. It’s something I’ve worked towards for years, and you have to show great tennis the whole year to be in this position. I’m happy I made it.”
Who and what got you here?
“My family and my mother were very, very important, we all know that. I’ve had a lot of difficult moments in my career, and everyone knows them: the lost Grand Slam finals, the injury in 2022. But I always somehow kept believing. I always kept going. This year I also took the step of changing my game a little and rebuilding it, at 29. The way this season has gone is a dream.”
What does it mean to do it in Vienna?
“It’s very, very special that we’re in the German-speaking world. Last year, against Jannik Sinner too, I felt the crowd was always on my side. Celebrating with a crowd that’s on your side makes it all the more special.”
The No. 1 position brings a lot with it. You have to be a good role model.
You’ve said you’re still motivated, so no one should worry you’re about to stop…
“Stop? Why should I stop?”
Thomas Muster said that after years of chasing other players, he suddenly found himself looking in the rearview mirror. Does that image speak to you?
“I think it’s a situation I’m ready for. I’m old enough, and I’ve played on the tour long enough to know how to deal with it. The No. 1 position brings a lot with it. You have to be a good role model. You have to do a lot of things right, and on court that means more than returning and serving well. And at the end of the day, I still have Carlos and Jannik, and hopefully I can keep competing with them over the next few years. I will. It’s wonderful to be No. 1 in the world, but when you go into a tournament, you have to beat everyone. Whatever your ranking, it’s always the same.”
Sinner beat you repeatedly this year and is now injured. What is this No. 1 worth?
“I think fitness, being healthy and being fit is an absolute massive part of sport. In the first six months of the season, I lost four or five times in a row to Jannik. There’s absolutely no question that he was the best player in the world at that moment. He was beating me all the time, and I would be an idiot to sit here and say that I was equally as good as Jannik. I wasn’t. I was the second-best player, because Carlos was injured and he was not able to compete.
“A lot has been said about this topic this year, and this is my own opinion. In terms of pure tennis, when he’s fit, he’s the best tennis player in the world. No question.
“But when I do an off-season in December and I train for four weeks, I do five or six hours of fitness training every day and I play maybe one hour or one hour fifteen of tennis. My main focus shifts towards physical training, being healthy, being able to play a fifth set the same way you play a first set. I’m looking forward to Jannik and Carlos being healthy again and hopefully competing with them for many more years, not just next year. Hopefully I can continue to make it interesting with those two guys.”
If you hold No. 1 through the Australian Open, that’s 13 weeks, one more than Boris Becker’s German record. Does that matter to you?
“One week more than Boris? Very good. Then the win was worth it. Let’s put it this way: I’d have to play pretty badly from here to lose No. 1, and I hope that won’t be the case. I hope I can keep raising my level, stay focused and keep showing good tennis. That’s what motivates me. Being No. 1 longer than Boris would of course be wonderful.”
Jan-Lennard Struff has just beaten Novak Djokovic. Is the Davis Cup, still missing from your record, the next big goal?
“I hope Struffi keeps playing like this, and that this isn’t one of those weeks where he plays out of his mind and then doesn’t win a match for six weeks. That would be a bit of a shame. If not, I’m very happy to have the best No. 2 in a team competition. That would be very, very helpful.”
