Alexander Zverev‘s sensational performance in the 2026 season has shaken up the landscape of men’s tennis. Coming into the season, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were seen as the two dominant forces of the sport. But Zverev’s triumphs at the French Open and the US Open have seen him enter the race for the best player of the season. Even Roger Federer believes that it’s now clearly a three-way battle for supremacy at the top. But the former World No. 1 has also picked the player who he believes is better than the other two.

“Sascha (Zverev) is now finally where we all hoped he would be one day is being a Grand Slam champion,” he told TNT Sports. “And now you could argue that maybe right now if there was a match-up then he would be the guy because Carlos (Alcaraz) is coming back from injury. So, I think it’s a debate. But just from the year that (Jannik) Sinner has had, I’d say he is super super tough.”

Before this season, Zverev was considered by many to be inferior to both Sinner and Alcaraz. This was mainly because he had no Grand Slam titles under his belt, despite having a longer career than the other two. Both of them also led the German in the H2H record. In fact, Zverev is yet to register a win over either of them in 2026.

Sinner has defeated him on five occasions this year, including the finals of Wimbledon and the Madrid Open. Alcaraz also got the better of Zverev when the two played in the semifinals of the Australian Open. But despite the dismal record, Zverev’s two Grand Slam triumphs have changed the situation completely.

He now stands at No. 2 and has a 4,130-point lead over Alcaraz in the rankings. The gap to Sinner’s points tally of 11,500 stands at 1,810. It is safe to say that Zverev has now cemented his status as one of the most successful players of his generation. With 24 ATP titles and an Olympic gold medal also under his belt, the only milestone that has eluded him throughout his career is the No. 1 ranking.

Zverev has tried relentlessly to take over the rankings for years now. The last time he dropped out of the top 10 was over three years ago, in August of 2023. He has come awfully close on numerous occasions and has reached No. 2 multiple times. But he just hasn’t been able to cross the finish line.

However, his brother, Mischa Zverev, is optimistic that there can be a major shift in the rankings soon. He believes that his brother certainly has the potential to fulfill his lifetime goal of reaching the No. 1 position.

Mischa Zverev backs Alexander Zverev to take over the rankings

“There are many goals in life. But yes, on paper that would be a goal that could still be achieved,” he said in an interview with Sport1.

But Mischa also created major controversy after he made questionable comments about the fitness level of Sinner and Alcaraz. He bluntly stated that the two weren’t strong enough in some way, and that is why they had to miss Grand Slams this season.

“Why weren’t they (Sinner & Alcaraz) there? Because they were injured. Why do they get injured? Because, in some way, they aren’t strong enough, or because they’ve pushed themselves too hard, or because they don’t rest when they need to,” he further said in the interview.

Both Sinner and Alcaraz have suffered severe fitness issues this season. The Italian had suffered a knee injury that spoiled his entire US swing. He didn’t play any matches in the entire swing, including the US Open.

Unlike Sinner, Alcaraz had to miss two Grand Slams this season. This includes the French Open and Wimbledon. This was due to a wrist injury he suffered in Barcelona, and it kept him out of action for over four months.

On the other hand, Zverev has maintained a strong fitness level this season. He has barely missed tournaments due to injury and has participated in all the Grand Slams. He has already had a phenomenal season, but things could get even better in the Asian swing and the ATP Finals. It remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will manage to end the year on a high or not.