Alexander Zverev: A model of mental resilience

To succeed in tennis, one must endure moments of great tension and suffering—and be able to overcome those moments through resilience that is sometimes superhuman. This is exactly what Alexander Zverev, a leading figure in world tennis who, after demonstrating masterful play since January, will end the season as the number one player in the ATP rankings.

At 29, the German will finally achieve what he has persistently pursued since entering the professional circuit. "It's something very, very special. It's different from winning major tournaments or Grand Slams. It's a different feeling. As the world number one, you have a responsibility on your shoulders, but it's something I look forward to," he acknowledged after learning that he will end 2026 as the world's top-ranked tennis player.

The road to the top has not been easy: for years, he's had to compete against three players who shared the titles each season, and he's had to overcome the difficult setbacks caused by injuries.

Early career and establishment

"Sacha"—as he is popularly known—began as one of the most promising players of a generation that includes names such as Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, among others. It didn't take long for Zverev to prove he was more than just a promising prospect when he won his first major tournaments at just 20 years old. During that meteoric rise, he notched unforgettable victories and delivered epic performances against living legends such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, establishing himself as one of the major challengers to the "Big Three."

Alexander Zverev, in 2018. File photoAFP.

It was in 2017 that he enjoyed his first major breakthrough, winning the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome, Italy, by defeating Djokovic in the final. Following that title, he went on to win six more in the same category and reached the finals in six others. However, facing a trio as formidable as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic prevented him from winning any of the four Grand Slam titles.

With Federer and Nadal retired or no longer at their peak, and Djokovic in the twilight of his career, Zverev began to have a better chance of winning one of tennis's four major titles. His first attempt came at the 2020 U.S. Open, where Dominic Thiem left him just one step away from winning the title. He also lost the finals at the 2024 French Open—against Carlos Alcaraz— and the 2025 Australian Open—against Jannik Sinner. That said, he did win the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Two Grand Slam titles and No. 1 in the ATP rankings

His best moment has arrived now. In 2026, Zverev won two Grand Slams: first, the French Open, defeating Flavio Cobolli in the final; second, the U.S. Open, which he won by defeating Ben Shelton in the final. He also reached the Wimbledon final, losing to Sinner.

Alexander Zverev, 2026 U.S. Open championAFP.

This season's successes have enabled Zverev to end 2026 as the world's top-ranked tennis player. This was compounded by injury problems and a lack of competitiveness from Sinner and Alcaraz, who had been vying for that status in recent years.

An example of mental resilience

Zverev has had to deal with certain challenges throughout his career. One of them is Type 1 diabetes, which he was diagnosed with at age 4 and which requires him to monitor his blood sugar levels during matches. He founded the Alexander Zverev Foundation, a nonprofit organization to support and inspire children with the same condition as him.

The hardest setback to accept and overcome came four years ago. During the 2022 French Open semifinals against Nadal, "Sacha" suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him for months. His subsequent return to the top of the ATP rankings demonstrated extraordinary mental resilience, as he once again began competing for the most coveted trophies on the calendar.

The greatest German tennis player of all time?

To date, a sporting powerhouse like Germany has had only one tennis player at the top of the ATP rankings: Boris Becker, who reached number one in January 1991. However, he failed to finish that season as the world's top-ranked player, and his reign lasted barely three months.

Zverev will be the first German tennis player in history to finish a season as the No. 1 player in the ATP rankings. This achievement could be enough to have him considered the best in his country's history, even though he is far from the six Grand Slam titles Becker won during his career.