By Shrivathsa Sridhar
BENGALURU, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev, who spent years waiting for his moment to reach the summit of his sport only for a new golden generation to surge past him, has claimed the honour that long eluded him by climbing to the top of the world rankings.
Zverev had long been one of the brightest talents to emerge in the 2010s, but his path, like that of his peers, was largely blocked by the enduring dominance of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Despite winning two ATP Finals titles on either side of an Olympic gold medal in 2021, Zverev struggled to make a similar impact at the Grand Slams as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz formed a new roadblock when the greats began to decline.
All that changed this year, however, as Zverev, 29, capitalised on injuries to his major rivals and found another level to claim the French Open and US Open titles.
"It's incredibly special," said Zverev, who will take over from Sinner on Monday and become the 30th man to top the world rankings since they were introduced in 1973. "It's something I've worked towards for years and you have to show great tennis the whole year to be in this position."
Zverev will become only the second world number one, after Daniil Medvedev, from the crop of players now largely in their late 20s and early 30s who emerged during the "Big Four" era but never displaced them.
ANKLE INJURY
The summit had been within Zverev's reach before, but a serious ankle injury at the 2022 French Open derailed his push, and Grand Slam success continued to elude him on his return as Sinner and Alcaraz accumulated 12 majors between them.
With Alcaraz's season stalled by a wrist injury and Sinner suffering a knee injury, Zverev's consistency and durability were decisive this year as he triumphed at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows and reached the Wimbledon final.
"I've had a lot of difficult moments in my career: the lost Grand Slam finals, the injury in 2022," Zverev added.
"But I always somehow kept believing, kept going. This year I also took the step of changing my game a little and rebuilding it, at 29. The way this season has gone is a dream."
Zverev's path to the top has also included turbulence away from the court, with allegations of domestic abuse which he has repeatedly denied.
A German court closed a case involving his former partner Brenda Patea after a 2024 settlement without a finding of guilt, and the ATP ended a separate investigation into allegations by Olga Sharypova in 2023, citing insufficient evidence.
STAYING POWER
Zverev's 3-8 record against top-10 opponents this season may leave room for debate over whether the top ranking makes him the best player, but noted coach Patrick Mouratoglou said staying fit and sustaining excellence were skills in themselves.
For Zverev, who has managed Type 1 diabetes since childhood, durability has been a constant issue.
"A player is not only performing on court, it's also being healthy, managing your body," Mouratoglou said.
"If someone is never injured and others are often injured, the one that's not injured will probably end up having a higher ranking ... staying healthy when you're a professional athlete is a real skill."
Zverev said reaching number one late in his career had left him better prepared for the responsibility that accompanies the ranking, both as the face of the sport and the player everyone wants to beat.
"The number one position brings a lot with it," said Zverev, Germany's second men's world number one after Boris Becker in 1991.
"You have to be a good role model, do a lot of things right and on court that means more than returning and serving well. I still have Carlos and Jannik. Hopefully, I can keep competing with them over the next few years."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
