Alexander Zverev has suggested he is ‘annoyed’ by critics suggesting he does not deserve to be the new world No 1, but the alternative tennis rankings suggest he may be fortunate to be at the top of the ATP list.

Zverev rose to the top of the rankings after Jannik Sinner confirmed he would not play against in 2026 due to a knee injury and the German has also wrapped up the year-end No 1 ranking.

After winning two Grand Slam titles this year and also reaching the final at Wimbledon, Zverev has been the most consistent performer in the men’s game over the last 12 months and that has secured him the No 1 ranking.

Injuries affecting Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner have boosted Zverev’s hopes of claiming the No 1 ranking for the first time in his career and he has suggested those questioning his right to. be known as the best player in the world are mistaken.

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

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“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. 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 record against the top-ranked players on the ATP Tour is incredibly poor this year, as he has only won three of his 12 matches against the top players in the men’s game in 2026.

That has inspired some to question his status as world No 1 and the alternative UTR Rating list offer a snapshot of what many believe is a more accurate world ranking.

While the ATP Rankings count points earned in 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 players.

The UTR Rating system is open to players at all levels of tennis, and all players — regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level — 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 towards the rating, and the algorithm uses the last 30 matches a player competes in (or fewer if they played fewer than 30 in the last 12 months).

The UTR Rating is also more forgiving to players who has spent time on the sidelines due to injury, which explains why Sebastien Korda is in their top 10 at No 7.

Korda beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open in March, but injury has kept him on the sidelines since then.

In the current UTR list, Sinner is world No 1 and his big rival Alcaraz is at No 2.

Zverev is in third position, with Frenchman Arthur Fils at No 4 and rising star Rafael Jodar at No 5.

UTR TOP 10 – WITH COMPARISON TO ATP LIST

1. Jannik Sinner (ATP No 2)

2. Carlos Alcaraz (ATP No 3)

3. Alexander Zverev (APT No 1)

4. Arthur Fils (ATP 7)

5. Rafael Jodar (ATP 10)

6. Ben Shelton (ATP 4)

7. Lorenzo Musetti (ATP 24)

8. Sebastien Korda (ATP 86)

9. Daniil Medvedev (ATP 5)

10. Jiri Lehecka (ATP 15)

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