Why Zverev’s rise to the top comes with a lot of scrutiny

The tennis world has recently seen two major ranking moves with new names now sitting on top of both the men’s and women’s games. While the ascension to the top by Russian-born Kazakh Elena Rybakina – who also ensured she will finish the year as the No 1 women’s player – was met with plenty of accolades, the same has not been the case for the new men’s No 1 Alexander Zverev of Germany.

Zverev won the French Open and the US Open, putting to rest his tag as the best player yet to win a Grand Slam. He's guaranteed the year-end No 1 ranking, too.

And yet, the murmurs refuse to die down.

Previous world No 1 Jannik Sinner has been out injured since he beat Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12. The Italian announced the end of his season three weeks ago because of inflammation in his right knee. Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz too was hampered by injury and fatigue this season that caused him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.

None of that, of course, is Zverev’s problem with the 29-year-old finally managing to grab the opportunity with both hands more than four years after becoming No 2.

Zverev's ascension to the top ranking, however, comes after two of his ex-girlfriends accused him of physical abuse. One accusation from 2020 was resolved following an agreement between German prosecutors, lawyers for Zverev and his former partner. The ATP investigated another case and in January 2023 concluded there was insufficient evidence.

On Monday, when the new rankings showed the German on top, a fan on X posted: “A man who has assaulted several of his ex-girlfriends is the world number 1 in our sport. A great way to start the week.”

Another fan responded: “Zverev deserves his place by a wide margin because resilience must also be part of the greatest…”

Zverev, though, is quite unfazed by all the scrutiny.

"It's a very special day, for sure," Zverev said in Paris, where he is set to compete in the Paris Masters this week.

"Paris has been quite special to me this year, generally. It's a place where I had a lot of up-and-downs, I had a lot of heartbreak, but this year, winning my first Grand Slam here and becoming world No 1, it's a very special feeling."

The German, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 4 and needs regular insulin shots during matches, believes he can win more Majors even after the duo returns to full fitness.

"I'm looking forward to the top two guys being healthy again, playing fully and competing with them," Zverev said. He added he feels more confident on grass after struggling on the fast surface.

"I definitely feel like I can compete for all the four Grand Slams," he said. "Hopefully getting a few more would be great for me."