Alexander Zverev is finally where his talent always said he belonged. After 13 years of waiting for a Grand Slam title, the 29-year-old German won two in three months and will end 2026 as a two-time major champion and the new world No. 1 — the oldest man in more than 50 years to reach the top spot for the first time.
Alexander Zverev (Credits: BBC Sport)
Victories at the French Open and US Open provided the springboard. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age four, Zverev’s breakthrough was a reward for persistence and intense hard work — and for finally playing with the freedom that had long eluded him on the biggest stages.
How Zverev Finally Broke Through at the Majors
Before this year, Zverev was for many the best male player never to have won a Grand Slam. He had already been an Olympic champion, a two-time ATP Finals winner and a former world No. 2, and had lost three major finals — the most painful the 2020 US Open final, where he led Dominic Thiem by two sets to love before losing in a fifth-set tie-break.
The impetus for change came from 10 days spent with Rafael and Toni Nadal in Mallorca in July 2025, where he sought what he called “a new vision of what tennis in their mind looks like.” He returned swinging bigger, taking more risks and adding variety to his rallies.
The new approach held through the anxiety. At the French Open final, despite cramping, Zverev closed out Flavio Cobolli 6-1 in the deciding set to claim his long-awaited first major. At Wimbledon, he played some of his best tennis of the year in a four-set final defeat to Jannik Sinner — his 10th consecutive loss to the Italian.
The Sinner and Alcaraz Challenge — and the Shadow Over His Rise
Zverev has said his relationship with father and coach Alex Sr works because they spend “zero time together” off court, and his older brother Mischa, a former tour player, has joined the team since retiring. But if Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz are both fit at the start of next season, he will need to turn 2027 into a genuine three-way rivalry.
The coronation has not come without discomfort. As BBC Sport reports, Zverev was accused of physical abuse by two former partners, and the ATP opened a major independent investigation into the matter. Zverev maintained his innocence and described the allegations as baseless. The new world No. 1 arrives with his record on court secure — and the questions around him unresolved.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
