Alexander Zverev is about to finish the year as the best player in the world. What that is doing to his body, however, is the question at this moment. On Tuesday, the top seed edged Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(1) in the Round of 16 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. 

It was his first match since the year-end No. 1 spot became his, after Carlos Alcaraz’s loss to Zizou Bergs on Monday. The victory represented his 120th career quarterfinal, 40th of which was on the Masters 1000 stage and his first in Shanghai since 2019. It was also his ATP-best 61st win of the season. It was accompanied by a warning. 

“Yeah my ankle was acting up unfortunately again, which kind of is also understandable. I mean, I’ve played a lot of tennis, which is always a good sign. That means I’ve been playing well,” the German explained.

The match did not start on Zverev’s terms. Bublik had three set points in the opening set, but the German managed to save every one of them before winning it in a tie-break. Zverev lost his serve for only the second time all week, and he was seen holding his right ankle at changeovers and between points. 

Bublik continued to send him down on drop shots, and the Kazakh had drawn level at one set apiece. The decider went to another tie-break. This time Zverev raced out of the blocks, hit a pair of aces, and closed it out with another after two hours and 41 minutes. 

“But I’m starting to feel my body more and more. But happy to be through because it was a difficult match, he’s been playing amazing tennis this week. Again, I think the most important thing was that I won today,” Zverev stated. 

While Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are dealing with their own physical problems, the German kept showing up, and that reflected in the French Open, the US Open, and now the year-end No. 1. The Italian has not played since Wimbledon, after defeating Zverev to clinch the title, and now has ruled himself out due to a knee injury. Alcaraz is rebuilding himself after the injury, and the straight-sets exit against Zizou Bergs reflected that. There’s one constant, and that’s Zverev, and one with a sore ankle. 

Zverev’s ankle raises questions?

There are plenty of examples of former No. 1s who played through discomfort at the end of a season, focused on winning points and margin, and were later hit by the consequences in the ensuing months. 

Zverev’s motivation to continue playing is less compelling than usual. His place at the top is already mathematically safe, so every extra match he plays on a damaged ankle is a risk with very little ranking reward. The drive to keep going is genuine as he pursues his 8th Masters 1000 and first in Shanghai. But there is a difference between competing and forcing it. 

He is facing 9th seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinal, who also suffered an injury that ended his China Open final. It’s a duel between players who are managing their bodies as much as their games. 

The Australian has even indirectly fired shots at Zverev for taking time between serves and derailing his opponents. De Minaur had even defeated the German at the Laver Cup, therefore, the tension is going to be at its peak between the two players on the court. 

Beyond Shanghai, the rest of the calendar is long and demanding, from the remaining Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. Zverev has spoken about being the first German to be at the top of the rankings since Boris Becker in 1991, and has added that it is “a different kind of feeling” and responsibility. 

A bigger prize may be waiting at the start of next year. Australia is another massive opportunity the return of Sinner is still up in the air, and Alcaraz has yet to prove himself fully fit. The next big question for Zverev and his team will be whether to press forward during the final weeks of 2026 or take a break to let the ankle recover.