Germany’s Zverev becomes tennis world No. 1

Alexander Zverev will soon become the men’s world number one following his victory at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The 29-year-old German is the second German to reach the top spot in the ATP rankings, after Boris Becker in 1991. Zverev's achievement is a result of his outstanding year, having won two Grand Slam titles and 64 of his 80 matches. He is the oldest player to top the rankings for the first time.

Zverev's rise to the top is due to the absence of top-ranked players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who missed significant portions of the season due to injuries. Zverev had previously won the French Open and US Open this year, advancing to the quarter-finals without facing either Sinner or Alcaraz.

The previous season saw Alcaraz and Sinner split all eight Grand Slam titles, creating a significant gap between themselves and the rest of the field. Zverev, with 5,110 points, is closer to the top two than one might initially assume. His major victories came without having to face any top-10 players.

Zverev is set to face British number one Arthur Fery in the quarter-finals, marking a repeat of their Wimbledon semi-final. Fery, 24, avenged a previous loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the US Open first round and continued his impressive run by defeating Musetti in Vienna. Fery's win against the former world number five, now ranked 26th, highlights his growing strength on the ATP Tour.