NEW DELHI, OCT 12 (IANS): Alexander Zverev achieved another significant milestone in his stellar 2026 season as the 29-year-old has clinched the ATP Year-End No.1 spot for the first time on Monday.
The reigning French Open and US Open champion will become the first German to earn the Year-End No.1 spot and also the oldest to achieve the feat for the first time. He would be 29 years, 217 days old at the year-end ATP rankings date (November 23, 2026) and will be three days older than Andre Agassi was in 1999 (29 years, 214 days).
This was confirmed after Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shocking round of 32 defeat in the ongoing Shanghai Masters to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 5-7, 6-7 (4). Zverev was already the favourite to end the year as the No.1 and had two scenarios to clinch the spot.
One was that if he reached the semifinals in Shanghai, and the other was that if Alcaraz and Ben Shelton lose at any time in the tournament. Before Alcaraz, Shelton had gone down to France’s Arthur Gea in his round of 32 clash on Sunday.
Zverev has been on a stellar run this season. He ended his long wait for a Grand Slam at Roland Garros and also won the US Open earlier. He also reached at least the semi-finals at the first four ATP Masters 1000 events of the season in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid (where he was a finalist). He lost to Jannik Sinner on each occasion.
Meanwhile Zverev will also become the World No.1 player in the ATP Rankings. He can achieve the feat on November 2 and will be the 30th player to become World No.1.
He is currently in action in the Shanghai Masters, where he will be facing Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Rafael Jodar matches Djokovic with R3 win
Rafael Jodar marched into the fourth round at the ongoing Shanghai Masters 1000 with a strong win over Jiri Lehecka 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 in the third round here on Monday.
Jodar recorded his 40th win of the season as he continues to impress many on his debut ATP Tour. This was the 20-year-old’s fifth entry into the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 event this season, and he has done so in five successive events that he has played, making him the youngest man since Novak Djokovic did so in 2007.
The victory marks a special one for Jodar as he defeated an in-form Lehecka, who came into Shanghai after reaching the Japan Open final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz on the Spaniard’s return.
Reflecting on the game, Jodar highlighted that he was proud to hang in. “Hanging in there,” Jodar said, on what he was most proud of. “It was very difficult today with the conditions. Jiri played very well from start to finish, serving very well. I had to give my best to win this match today.
Jodar has also turned out to be a contender for the ATP Finals as he is currently 11th in the ATP Live Race to Turin. He turned professional in December 2025 and has a 40-16 record this season. Jodar will face either Arthur Fils or Botic van de Zandschulp in the round of 16 now.
Elsewhere, Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime also won their third-round matches. Ruud defeated American rising star Learner Tien in the third round 6-4, 7-6 (3), while Auger-Aliassime also made it to the pre-quarters as he got the better of Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in a three-setter battle 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to storm into the RO16 and will be facing Ruud next.
Ruud, Auger-Aliassime set up round of 16 clash
Casper Ruud defeated American rising star Learner Tien in the third round of the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 7-6 (3) to march into the round of 16 here on Monday.
Ruud, seeded 20th, beat the 14th seed in one hour and 42 minutes to move into the next round, relying on his serves and first serves to cap off a strong performance.
He fired in 13 aces, compared to Tien’s seven and also won 89% of his first-serve points, with the American winning 69% of his first serves. He also broke Tien once, with the important break coming in the 10th game of the first set to win it. He also saved both the break points against the American.
Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime also made it to the pre-quarters as he got the better of Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in a three-setter battle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, to storm into the RO16 and will be facing Ruud next.
Fourth-seed Auger-Aliassime had to dig in a bit more but used his first serves and net points well. He nailed 80% of his points on his first serve and also won 14 of the 18 net points. Busta, meanwhile, won only 63% of his first serve and five points at the net.
The Canadian also fired in 37 winners and also broke the Spaniard four times in the match, while he lost his serve only once. Two of those four breaks came in the first set as Auger-Aliassime won it 6-3 before the Spaniard replied.
Carreno Busta then broke early in the second set and held his serves for a 6-4 second-set win. However, he was blown away in the decider, where the Canadian again broke Carreno Busta twice, once to take a 3-1 lead and then to take a 5-1 lead, as he then held his serve to secure a win.
Auger-Aliassime and Ruud will meet next in the pre-quarters. The two have met each other eight times with the Canadian holding a 5-3 lead over the Norwegian. Auger-Aliassime has won all of the previous four encounters between the two, which included an Olympic quarterfinal victory too.
Their last meeting came in the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 event, where the Canadian won after Ruud retired.
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