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Alexander Zverev has been confirmed as the ATP year-end world No. 1 and is now setting his sights on the season-ending title in Turin, Eurosport reported. The 29-year-old German collected the year-end No. 1 trophy after a season in which he won at the French Open and the US Open, two of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
The coronation came with a caveat: Zverev’s first match as the world’s top-ranked player ended in a 6-7 (5-7), 2-6 defeat to Lorenzo Musetti in Paris, and the two-time Grand Slam champion used the post-match press conference to push back at criticism from Boris Becker, the only other German man to have held the top ranking.
Zverev fires back at Becker after Paris loss
Becker, in an interview with Der Spiegel before the Paris event, questioned why Zverev is not more warmly embraced in Germany despite his success, citing his gold chains, his Russian roots and interviews he described as “abrupt and clipped.” Zverev responded directly. “I think he always talks relatively a lot of nonsense,” he said of Becker. “I don’t know what’s going on with him right now, but I have the feeling he has to comment on everything I do. If he thinks he needs that, then he should do it.”
The exchange marks the latest flare-up in a public rift that has been building for months between the two men, the only male Germans to have reached No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
Zverev defends his place at No. 1
Zverev also bristled at ongoing debate over whether he deserved the top spot, a discussion amplified on social media by the long absences of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz this season. “I feel like I’m the only world No. 1 in tennis history who has to explain why it’s okay that I’m the No. 1 in the world,” he said. “I find that quite difficult. I deserve to stand where I stand now.”
The numbers behind the ranking tell a complicated story: against top-10 opponents, Zverev holds a clearly negative win-loss record this season, yet still earned the No. 1 position. He said he is not fully able to enjoy the milestone at the moment.
Turin and Bologna next on the calendar
With the ranking settled, Zverev’s focus shifts to the ATP Finals in Turin, which begin Nov. 15, and the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, starting Nov. 23. He is chasing a third title of the season at one of those two events.
The year-end No. 1 designation caps a climb to the top of the men’s game for Zverev, who reached the milestone despite the questions surrounding his record against the elite and the off-court noise that has followed the achievement.
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