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Shanghai: Men’s tennis confirmed it will crown a new world number one as Germany’s Alexander Zverev (pictured) was ensured the year-end honour yesterday after Carlos Alcaraz lost his third-round match in Shanghai.
The career-first will cap a stellar season for the 29-year-old, the current world number two, after he won the French Open in June and the US Open in September.
The French Open was the German star's first-ever Grand Slam title.
“It’s been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true,” Zverev said in a statement shared by the ATP Tour website.
“So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury,” Zverev added.
He suffered a career-threatening ankle injury in his French Open semi-final in 2022.
Zverev will be the first German player to finish his season as the top-ranked player, and the oldest to lift the trophy set to be presented in November.
His achievement comes in a year where the previous two players to hold the top ranking, Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Alcaraz, have skipped months of competition due to injury.
Sinner, the current number one, has not competed since Wimbledon where he beat Zverev in the final. He announced last week his season was over due to a knee injury.
Alcaraz, ranked third, was sidelined for months with a wrist injury from April until the US Open. — AFP
