A Season of Grand Slam Dominance
Alexander Zverev has capped a remarkable 2026 campaign by claiming his first US Open title in New York, defeating Ben Shelton in the final to secure his second Grand Slam of the year. The German had already broken through at Roland Garros earlier in the season, and he also reached the Wimbledon final and came agonizingly close at the Australian Open, serving for the match against Carlos Alcaraz before the Spaniard recovered. That depth of consistency across all four majors has convinced many observers that Zverev is the form player on the planet right now. Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski put it plainly, saying Zverev has been "by far the best at the majors" in 2026 and calling him "the best player on the planet this year." Zverev himself was more measured, noting that Sinner still deserves respect as the official world number one once he returns from his knee injury.
Sinner Faces a Brutal Return Schedule
Jannik Sinner has held on to the top spot in the official ATP Rankings, which use a 52-week rolling points system, but the gap has shrunk to just 1,810 points. Crucially, Zverev has overtaken Sinner in the ATP Race, the calendar-year standings that determine qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner is set to return at the China Open starting September 30, but he faces a grueling task: he must defend roughly 3,550 ranking points accumulated from winning the China Open, the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals in 2025. Zverev, by contrast, is defending only 1,040 points across the same period, giving him enormous room to gain ground. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic continues to slip, falling to number 12 in the ATP Rankings after a first-round exit in New York. TennisDraw users tracking the bracket chaos of this late-season stretch will want to watch every match closely as this title race heads into its final weeks.
