Zverev admits he’s 'annoyed' as Sinner and Alcaraz leapfrog him in rankings

Alexander Zverev has admitted he is 'annoyed' by the criticism he has faced since becoming world No. 1, but alternative tennis rankings suggest Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are both ahead of him.

The German officially rose to the top of the ATP rankings this week after Jannik Sinner confirmed he would not play again in 2026 due to a knee injury.

Zverev also wrapped up the year-end No. 1 ranking after Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock loss in Shanghai.

Despite winning two Grand Slam titles this year — Roland Garros and the US Open — and reaching the final at Wimbledon, Zverev's status as the world's best player has been questioned.

His record against top-ranked opponents in 2026 is poor: he has won only three of his 12 matches against other top players on the ATP Tour.

That has inspired some to question whether he truly deserves the No. 1 ranking.

The alternative UTR Rating list offers a snapshot of what many believe is a more accurate reflection of current form.

While the ATP Rankings count points earned over the last 52 weeks, Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is based on an algorithm that places more weight on recent results and wins against higher-ranked opponents.

The UTR Rating system is open to players at all levels of tennis, and all players are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on match results.

Only matches within the last 12 months are counted toward the rating.

According to the UTR list, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are both ranked above Zverev.

Zverev addressed the criticism after his first match as world No. 1 ended in defeat to Lorenzo Musetti at the Paris Masters.

He lost 7-6(5), 6-2 in the second round.

"I was a bit annoyed, to be honest, the last couple of days," Zverev said.

"Achieving the world No. 1 status is something that I think every player dreams of, but then I feel like I'm the only world No. 1 in tennis history that has to explain why it's okay for me to be world No. 1."

He continued: "I find it quite difficult because I think I deserve to be where I am, even though I lost today.

"I don't think anybody had to explain themselves as much as I had to do in the last couple of days, which for me, is annoying, to be honest."

Zverev's defeat to Musetti means he has become the fifth ATP player in history to lose his first match after becoming world No. 1.

The list began with seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe in 1980.

McEnroe became world No. 1 for the first time in March 1980, with his first match since earning the position representing the USA in the Davis Cup against Argentina.

Despite being the world No. 1, McEnroe lost both of his singles matches, including his first match as world No. 1 against Jose Luis Clerc.

His reign as world No. 1 lasted only three weeks.

Thomas Muster lost his first match as world No. 1 at the Dubai Tennis Championships, beaten by lucky loser and world No. 161 Sandon Stolle.

Lleyton Hewitt was the first men's world No. 1 this century to lose his first match after reaching the top, beaten in the Davis Cup against Nicolas Escude.

Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest world No. 1 in history in 2022 but lost his first match in that position against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Davis Cup.

Zverev is the latest player on this list.

He has also made unwanted history by failing to win a single ATP Masters 1000 title in 2026.

According to statisticians OptaAce, since 1990, Zverev has become the fourth year-end world No. 1 not to have won an ATP Masters 1000 event in the same season.