ATP Tour

How can Zverev pass Sinner for World No. 1 after the Asian swing?

Alexander Zverev is making a push to become the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The German, who boasts a season-leading 56 match wins, can make up even more ground on Jannik Sinner this week at the China Open in Beijing, where Zverev is the top seed.

Zverev could become World No. 1 as early as after the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Should he win Beijing and follow that with a title run at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Zverev would need Sinner to fall before the fourth round in Shanghai for the top spot to change hands.

“I think it's a goal for anyone,” Zverev said of reaching No. 1, speaking at his pre-tournament press conference in Beijing. “I think at 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.”

Zverev, 29, is aiming to become the 30th player to climb to the pole position in PIF ATP Rankings history. Sinner first ascended to World No. 1 in June 2024 and has tallied 91 total weeks at the pinnacle spot.

Now, Zverev can almost taste the top of tennis’ mountain, but the Hamburg native is staying focused on the task at hand.

“There's some of it in my head,” said the 26-time tour-level titlist, who won his first major crown this season at Roland Garros and added to his trophy cabinet by winning the US Open.

“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.”