Alexander Zverev has finally won the US Open, but the biggest prize in New York was not enough to take him to the top of the ATP rankings. The German remains World No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner after beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open 2026 final. However, Zverev has made a huge move in the race for the No. 1 spot, and the battle with Sinner is now much closer.
What Is The ATP Ranking After US Open 2026?
Sinner remains No. 1 with 11,500 points, while Zverev moves to 9,690 points.
That leaves 1,810 points between the two players.
Zverev entered the US Open with 7,790 points. He had 100 points to defend from his 2025 third-round appearance but earned 2,000 points as the champion, giving him a net gain of 1,900 points.
The moment he waited for 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XlfP399Fdr
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
Sinner did not play in New York because of injury. He had 1,300 points to defend after reaching the 2025 US Open final, so his total dropped from 12,800 to 11,500.
So, no, Zverev has not replaced Sinner as World No. 1 yet.
How Can Zverev Become World No. 1?
The ATP rankings are based on a rolling 52-week period, meaning points from tournaments drop when the corresponding results from the previous year fall out of the ranking window.
That gives Zverev more opportunities to close the 1,810-point gap during the final stretch of the season. There are still ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, ATP 500 events and the ATP Finals to come.
The German also has one major advantage: his US Open victory means he has just added another 2,000 points to his season, while Sinner’s US Open total was zero because he missed the tournament.
Earlier in the summer, ATP noted that Sinner had more points to defend during the remainder of the season than Zverev, which gave the German a possible path back into the No. 1 battle.
Zverev Is Already Ahead In The 2026 Race
Before the US Open final, Zverev and Sinner were level on 7,950 points in the Race to Turin if Zverev won the title. A victory over Shelton added another 700 points to Zverev’s total, taking him to 8,650, while Sinner remains on 7,950.
That means Zverev now leads the season-long race by 700 points.
Can Zverev Become World No.1 For The First Time?
Absolutely. Zverev has already done the hardest part: he has won his second Grand Slam of the season and taken control of the Race to Turin.
Sinner is still sitting on top of the official rankings, but the gap is no longer out of reach. With the final stretch of the season still to come, Zverev has a genuine opportunity to turn his best year yet into something even bigger, his first stint as World No.1.
The Updated ATP Rankings Ater US Open 2026 Final is as follows:
Updated ATP Rankings:
| Rank | Player | Country | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | ITA | 11,500 | -1,300 |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | GER | 9,690 | +1,900 |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | ESP | 5,560 | -1,600 |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | USA | 4,680 | +1,200 |
| 5 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | CAN | 3,890 | -750 |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | RUS | 3,770 | +190 |
| 7 | Flavio Cobolli | ITA | 3,720 | — |
| 8 | Frances Tiafoe | USA | 3,380 | +700 |
| 9 | Alex de Minaur | AUS | 3,300 | -350 |
| 10 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 3,175 | -300 |
| 11 | Arthur Fils | FRA | 3,150 | +10 |
| 12 | Novak Djokovic | SRB | 2,980 | -790 |
| 13 | Learner Tien | USA | 2,755 | +190 |
| 14 | Rafael Jodar | ESP | 2,659 | -12 |
| 15 | Jakub Menšík | CZE | 2,495 | +50 |
