"The best player on the planet this year": Alexander Zverev the World Number 1 in waiting? Greg Rusedski thinks so

Wednesday, 16 September 2026 at 05:30

Alexander Zverev ensured he will finish 2026 as the king of Grand Slams after winning both Roland Garros and the US Open; albeit with depleted fields, it matters a jot, as he managed to find his way through.

It was a second major title success after a long-awaited run which saw him always be second fiddle until Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have spent most of this season off injured.

Zverev was also a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and served for the match against Carlos Alcaraz before he came back to win in Melbourne. Zverev is still 1,810 ranking points behind Sinner despite his impressive Grand Slam performances this year but Greg Rusedski sees him as the best player in the world and World No.1 in the waiting.

“When he won the French, he was expected to win when Sinner went out and then again he was No 1 seed at the US Open and he got the job done on both occasions,” Rusedski said.

Alexander Zverev GER with US Open Trophy after beating Ben Shelton

“Yes, Sinner is the world No 1. For me, from the results at the majors, Zverev’s the best player on the planet this year. That’s where we define greatness. There’s very rarely a player who wins two majors in the year who isn’t the world No 1.

“He’s been by far the best at the majors. He could have gotten to the finals in Australia serving for the match against Alcaraz 5-3. Then on top of that, winning the French and then the finals of Wimbledon before he won his second major at the US Open.

“He’s a great player and those who questioned him before this year were crazy to do so. Winning majors is not easy, especially when guys like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and recently Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are around.

“Now we are seeing a different Zverev. He is not worried about when that first major will come any more and he is playing with freedom. That’s dangerous for everyone else because all the top players say he has the best serve in tennis. That’s no doubt he has now.

“What we can also say is we now have a Big 3 at the top of men’s tennis because Zverev has stepped up.”

But while he sees Zverev as the best in the world, he said that feasibly he isn't when Sinner and Zverev are at the top of their game. “You have to take everything into consideration,” he said. “With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not.

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“But if we say right, right now with Jannik being injured and Carlos coming back from injury, maybe. I mean, four, five months ago when both of them were healthy, I wasn’t.

“I was losing to Jannik all the time. So if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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