India, Oct. 12 -- Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the year-end No. 1 in the ATP rankings. It will be the first time in his career that he ends a calendar year as the world's top-ranked player.

The outcome became increasingly likely after Jannik Sinner withdrew from the remainder of the season while undergoing treatment for a knee injury. Zverev's year-end No. 1 status was confirmed on Monday after Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock third-round exit at the Shanghai Masters, losing to unseeded Zizou Bergs in straight sets.

Zverev had previously finished inside the year-end Top 10 eight times, including five seasons in which he ranked among the top five.

He has also become the first German player to finish a season as ATP ye...