Alexander Zverev is set to become the 30th world number one since 1973 when the new ATP rankings are published on Monday.
Zverev, who has won two Grand Slam titles this season, will overtake an injury-stricken Jannik Sinner in the rankings.
With Zverev snatching the world number one spot away from the Italian, many will naturally come to the conclusion that the German is now most definitely the best player on the ATP Tour.
However, can anyone truly draw that conclusion after analysing Zverev’s record vs top-10 players this year?
Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz are among the top-10 players Alexander Zverev has lost to this year
Zverev has a rather poor record against the top 10 this year, despite already securing the year-end world number one ranking.
How long do you think Alexander Zverev keeps the number one ranking?
He is now guaranteed to be year end number one after Carlos Alcaraz’s shock loss in Shanghai…
The German has a 3-9 record, only triumphing against Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur.
Two of those players – De Minaur and Fritz – have also defeated the soon-to-be world number one this year. De Minaur has beaten Zverev at the Laver Cup and Vienna Open, while Fritz defeated the German in the Halle Open semi-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Alex de Minaur in Sunday’s Vienna Open final, was Zverev’s first top-10 opponent of the season.
The Spaniard overcame severe cramping before defeating Zverev in the Australian Open semi-finals. Zverev served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set before losing 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 5-7 inside Rod Laver Arena.
The player who has enjoyed the most success against Zverev this year has been Jannik Sinner. The current world number one has defeated the 30-year-old five times across the past 10 months, including in the Madrid Open final and the Wimbledon final.
Sinner has won his last 10 matches against Zverev, dating back to the 2024 Cincinnati Open.
| Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| Australian Open | Carlos Alcaraz | lost 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 5-7 |
| Indian Wells | Jannik Sinner | lost 2-6, 4-6 |
| Miami Open | Jannik Sinner | lost 3-6, 6-7 |
| Monte Carlo Masters | Jannik Sinner | 1-6, 4-6 |
| Madrid Open | Jannik Sinner | lost 1-6, 2-6 |
| Halle Open | Taylor Fritz | lost 7-6, 4-6, 5-7 |
| Wimbledon | Taylor Fritz | won 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 |
| Wimbledon | Jannik Sinner | lost 7-6, 6-7, 3-6, 4-6 |
| US Open | Ben Shelton | won 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 |
| Laver Cup | Alex de Minaur | lost 6-2, 6-7, 9-11 |
| Shanghai Masters | Alex de Minaur | won 6-4, 6-4 |
| Vienna Open | Alex de Minaur | lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 |
Zverev must look to improve his output against top-10 opposition in 2027 to truly be considered the best player on the planet.
