Alexander Zverev shares aspirations for reaching world No. 1.
Richard PagliaroSeptember 30, 20262 minute read
By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA/US Open
Alexander Zverev has silenced some skeptics playing tennis terminator this season.
Defeating Flavio Cobolli in the Roland Garros final, Zverev captured his maiden major and snapped a streak of nine consecutive Grand Slam championships won by Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz.
Now, Zverev is aiming to take over the top spot and end Sinner’s reign as world No. 1.
Meeting the media in Beijing ahead of the China Open, Zverev said securing the top spot is his ultimate goal for the rest of this season.
“I think it’s a goal for anyone,” Zverev said of reaching No. 1. “I think in the beginning of the season everybody expected that battle to be between Carlos and Jannik, so I’m very pleased that I’m in that conversation (smiling).
“Of course, yeah, there’s some of it in my head. Again, I think I’ve said it so many times this year, the only thing that I can control is play good tennis, play well on the court, try to feel well on the court, try to do everything I can to prepare myself to play good tennis. Everything else will fall into place.”
Responding to a question from Tennis Now’s Chris Oddo at Indian Wells in March, Zverev said success in today’s tennis is not about tactics, it’s about shot-making skills.
“I think the players that win the most are the ones that have the best shots,” Zverev said then. “I think the players that win the most now, especially now, because tennis is just a powerful sport now, have the best forehand, have the best backhand, have the best serve, have the best return. I think those are the players that win the most in the last couple of years.
“I think Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are winning “the” most, not because they play tennis by a lot of tactics, their shots are just better than everyone else’s.”
Collecting two of the four Grand Slam titles this year, Zverev has shown a dominant serve, blistering backhand and the ability to withstand the pressure of major finals.
Zverev currently trails Sinner by about 1,370 points in the rankings. Reigning Beijing champion Sinner withdrew from this week’s tournament continuing his recovery from a right knee injury. Sinner, who has not played a match since defeating Zverev in the Wimbledon final last July, may well pull the plug on the Asian swing, Italian media reports.
