Alexander Zverev was given the red carpet treatment at the Paris Masters on the day he was officially confirmed to become the ATP Tour’s new world No 1.
The German is already set to be the year-end world No 1, but he was confirmed to reach the summit of the ATP Tour after reaching the quarterfinals of the Vienna Open.
As he arrived at the Paris Masters, the final Masters tournament on the ATP Tour calendar gave him a world No 1 ceremony to celebrate the German becoming just the 30th man to reach the top of the rankings.
Some of the biggest names in the sport sent in video messages to congratulate Zverev, including Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, and Pete Sampras.
More Alexander Zverev news
“Hey Sascha, many congrats for this amazing achievement,” said Nadal in a video message. “I know how hard you worked to achieve your dreams.
“Finally you did it this year – two Grand Slams, now world number one. Many congratulations, super happy for you and all the very best in the future.”
Sinner, meanwhile, who was knocked off the top spot by Zverev, said: “Huge congrats for an incredible year. Two Grand Slams and now you are number one in the world.
“The 30th in the history, so congrats to you, to your whole family and the whole team. Enjoy it, and I hope to see you very soon.”
American legend Sampras also made a rare appearance via video message to congratulate Zverev.
“Just want to send you a quick message congratulating you on an incredible year,” said the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
“To get to three straight major finals, to win two of them, to finish year-end number one, is one of the best years ever. Congratulations on all your success. I’ve been a big fan of yours ever since you started. Just see you improve it each year.
“But to see you really, really break through this year was exciting to watch, you deserve it. You do all the right things, work hard, so I just want to congratulate you and your team.
“Well deserved, good luck for the rest of the year and hope to meet you at some point down the road, but man, awesome year.”
Zverev will now try and live up to his world No 1 status by trying to win the Paris Masters, but it will not be easy for the German star.
He faces a tough test against Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the tournament, who has beaten the likes of Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Flavio Cobolli in recent weeks.
Zverev could also play Learner Tien, Novak Djokovic, and Alex de Minaur before the semifinals of the competition, so he will have to be at his absolute best to have a deep run in Paris.
