Alexander Zverev finally got his US Open moment.
Six years after blowing a two-set lead in the 2020 final, the German returned to the biggest stage in New York and finished the job. Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win his first US Open title and the second Grand Slam championship of his career.
But the trophy might not be the biggest thing Zverev takes home from New York.
There is another prize sitting right in front of him.
World No. 1.
Jannik Sinner still holds the top spot, but Zverev has suddenly turned what looked like a comfortable lead into a genuine race.
And that could completely change the conversation around men’s tennis.
Zverev Is Suddenly Chasing Sinner
Before the US Open, Sinner had plenty of breathing room at the top.
Now?
Not so much.
Sinner remains No. 1 with 11,500 ranking points, while Zverev has moved to No. 2 with 9,690. Carlos Alcaraz is third on 5,560.
That leaves Zverev just 1,810 points behind Sinner.
And here’s where things get really interesting.
Zverev didn’t just win the US Open.
He also jumped ahead of Sinner in the ATP Live Race to Turin, which tracks the points earned during the current season and provides a strong indication of who is positioned to finish the year No. 1.
After winning in New York, Zverev moved to 8,650 points in the Race to Turin, 700 ahead of Sinner.
So there are now two different stories.
Sinner is still officially No. 1.
But Zverev has the stronger position in the year-end race.
That is a massive difference.
And Zverev Has One Huge Advantage
The remaining schedule could work in Zverev’s favor.
According to the ATP Finals’ official analysis, Zverev has only 1,080 points to defend for the rest of the season, while Sinner has 3,550 points coming off his ranking total.
That doesn’t guarantee anything.
But it creates an opportunity.
Zverev doesn’t necessarily need to go on an unbelievable winning streak.
He simply needs to continue collecting points while Sinner tries to protect a much larger portion of his existing total.
And that’s why the next few tournaments suddenly matter much more.
Every quarterfinal.
Every semifinal.
Every final.
Every early exit.
The margin could change quickly.
The US Open Changed Zverev’s Season
What makes this even more impressive is that this isn’t Zverev’s only major breakthrough in 2026.
He also won the French Open earlier this year.
He then reached the Wimbledon final.
And now he has won the US Open.
That’s a remarkable Grand Slam season.
Zverev has gone from being one of the best players in the world without a major title to winning two Grand Slam tournaments in the same season.
Reuters reported that the US Open victory marked his second major title of 2026 and helped erase some of the disappointment surrounding his previous Grand Slam failures.
Remember what happened in 2020.
Zverev was two sets away from winning his first Grand Slam in New York before Dominic Thiem came back to beat him.
For years, that match remained part of his story.
Now it is different.
Zverev has two Grand Slam trophies.
And both came in the same season.
But There’s Still a Problem
This is where the Sinner question becomes unavoidable.
Zverev may be closing the gap in the rankings.
But that doesn’t automatically mean he has overtaken Sinner as the best player.
In fact, Zverev himself acknowledged that distinction after winning the US Open.
With Sinner injured and Alcaraz returning from injury, Zverev said he considered himself the top player at that moment, but added that if everyone were healthy and playing at their best, he still considered Sinner ahead.
That’s an important admission.
Because the circumstances matter.
Sinner missed the US Open because of a knee injury.
Alcaraz was returning from a lengthy injury absence and lost to Shelton in the quarterfinals.
That opened the door.
Zverev walked through it.
And he deserves enormous credit for doing exactly that.
But the next test will be different.
What Happens When Sinner Comes Back?
This is the matchup tennis fans should be watching.
Sinner and Zverev have already played several times this season, and Sinner has had the better results.
ATP reported that Sinner maintained a strong hold over their head-to-head rivalry during their 2026 meetings, including victories at Indian Wells and Monte Carlo.
So Zverev’s challenge isn’t simply catching Sinner in the rankings.
It’s eventually beating him when both players are healthy.
That’s the part that could determine whether Zverev has truly joined the Alcaraz-Sinner conversation at the very top.
Because there are two separate achievements:
Being ranked No. 1.
And
proving you can consistently beat the players fighting for that position.
Zverev is getting closer to the first.
The second remains a much bigger question.
Alcaraz Makes This Even More Interesting
And then there’s Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spaniard is currently No. 3 with 5,560 points, well behind Sinner and Zverev.
But nobody should write him off.
Alcaraz won the Australian Open earlier this year, and he remains one of the biggest names in the sport.
His US Open ended earlier than expected when Ben Shelton defeated him in the quarterfinals, but his return to competition after injury means his next stretch of tournaments could be extremely important.
Suddenly, men’s tennis has a fascinating situation.
Sinner is No. 1.
Zverev is the US Open champion and current leader in the Race to Turin.
Alcaraz is sitting at No. 3.
And the rankings could change dramatically before the season ends.
Could Zverev Actually Finish No. 1?
Yes, the numbers make it possible.
But it isn’t simply a matter of winning another tournament.
Sinner still has a substantial lead in the official rankings.
Zverev needs to keep earning points while taking advantage of the fact that Sinner has more points to defend later in the season. The ATP Finals’ current analysis specifically identifies Zverev as being in position to challenge for year-end No. 1.
That means the next few months could become one of the most interesting ranking battles in men’s tennis.
And there is a good chance the answer won’t be known until very late in the season.
My Take: This Is Bigger Than One Trophy
The US Open victory changed Zverev’s career.
But taking the No. 1 ranking from Sinner would change the way his 2026 season is remembered.
Winning two Grand Slams in one year is already extraordinary.
Finishing the year as the world’s top-ranked player would add another layer.
It would mean Zverev didn’t simply take advantage of an open tournament.
He sustained his level across the season.
That’s what makes the remaining schedule so important.
The pressure is now on Sinner.
He has the ranking.
He has the points.
He has the reputation.
But Zverev is coming.
And unlike earlier in his career, Zverev isn’t chasing his first major anymore.
He’s already won two.
That changes the mentality.
The Bigger Question for Tennis
For the last couple of seasons, the conversation has largely revolved around Sinner and Alcaraz.
Now Zverev has forced his way into it.
He has two Grand Slams in 2026.
He is No. 2 in the rankings.
He leads the Race to Turin.
And he has reduced Sinner’s ranking advantage to 1,810 points.
That’s not an impossible gap.
It is a challenge.
And if Zverev continues performing at this level, the battle for No. 1 could become one of the biggest stories in tennis over the final months of 2026.
But there is one final test waiting for him.
Sinner healthy.
Alcaraz healthy.
Zverev healthy.
All three playing their best tennis.
That’s when we’ll really find out whether Zverev has become the new man at the top or simply produced the greatest season of his career.
For now, though, one thing is undeniable.
Alexander Zverev has gone from chasing his first Grand Slam to chasing Jannik Sinner’s No. 1 ranking.
And suddenly, Sinner has something very real to defend.
