Zverev wrapped up the ATP year-end No. 1 ranking on Monday 12 October in Shanghai, when Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in straight sets by Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. The result left current No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who has not played since the Wimbledon final in July because of inflammation in his right knee, mathematically unable to be caught by the German at the top of the standings.
The debate started almost immediately. Zverev’s French Open and US Open titles, his first two Grand Slams, came in draws where Sinner, Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were either absent, out early or injured. Critics argued that the ranking flattered a season defined by other players’ setbacks.
Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams for a decade and has worked with Naomi Osaka and Holger Rune, pushed back on his YouTube channel.
“Zverev might not be the best player, but he’s the number one in the world and he fully deserves it. The first way I rate the situation is that your ranking is your value. If others are injured, bad luck for them.”
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Mouratoglou points back to Rafa
To close the door on the “what if” line, the Frenchman reached for a familiar name.
“There are the same discussions about Rafa. Oh, if Rafa would not have been injured, he would have won X Grand Slams. Yeah, but there is no if.”
At Wimbledon in 2019, asked about Nick Kyrgios’ unfulfilled potential, Nadal cut the question down with his own version of the same thought: “If, if, if… doesn’t exist.”
“Staying healthy when you’re a professional athlete is a real skill and it requires a lot of work, a lot of professionalism, a lot of sacrifice.”
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Zverev was the favourite, and delivered
The coach also disputed the idea that Zverev simply walked through soft draws.
“I think it’s important to give him credit because he played two Grand Slams this year, being the super favourite, which was Roland Garros after Sinner lost early and the US Open.”
Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli in a five-set Roland Garros final and Ben Shelton in four sets at Flushing Meadows. He also reached the Australian Open semi-finals and the Wimbledon final, where Sinner beat him.
“He’s number one because he deserves to be number one. Do I think that the two other guys (Sinner and Alcaraz) are better than him? Yes, but they’re not number one. He’s number one.”
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First German to finish year-end No. 1
Zverev is the first German man to finish an ATP season as world No. 1 and only the 20th player to achieve the feat since the computer rankings began in 1973. Boris Becker reached the top during a season but never held it at the finish.
When the year-end rankings are made official on 23 November, Zverev will be 29 years and 217 days old. That makes him the oldest player to secure a first year-end No. 1, three days older than Andre Agassi was when he did it in 1999.
Zverev’s own verdict was simpler.
“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.”
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He plays Alexander Bublik next at the Shanghai Masters.
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