Alexander Zverev has become the second-oldest first-time world No.1 by securing enough points at the Vienna Open to supplant Jannik Sinner atop the ATP rankings. Almost exactly a decade after Andy Murray reached that same milestone at 29 years and 176 days old, this year's Roland Garros and US Open champion will be just 19 days older when he officially does so on Monday. John Newcombe is the oldest ever debutant world No. 1, achieving the feat 11 days after his 30th birthday in 1974, a year after they were introduced, by displacing Ilie Nastase, who spent 40 weeks as the first incumbent at the top spot. Fifty-three years later, Zverev becomes the 30th player to do likewise, and just the second German after Boris Becker, who spent a combined 12 weeks at the top spot during 1991 while swapping places with Stefan Edberg.

Zverev said in an on-court interview after beating Griekspoor: "I had to wait, but sometimes you've got to wait for the best things in life. It is how it is; I'm super happy.

After securing the year-end No.1 ranking in Shanghai, Zverev said: "It's been a fantastic season for me, winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true. So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury [suffered at Roland Garros in 2022]. I look forward to finishing the season in style."