Alexander Zverev’s 2026 season has taken a striking turn, and the German may now be positioned to chase one of the sport’s most valuable prizes in the months ahead.

After winning the US Open in New York with a commanding victory over Ben Shelton, Zverev added a second major trophy to his cabinet. That triumph followed his French Open title in June, which ended a long wait for Grand Slam success and changed the shape of his season completely.

For much of his career, Zverev was viewed as a player who came close without quite finishing the job. In 2026, that picture has shifted. His results have strengthened the case that he belongs in the game’s new elite, and he now has a genuine opening to finish the year as world No 1.

Jannik Sinner currently leads the rankings, but the coming weeks are likely to be decisive. Under the ATP’s 52-week system, Sinner must defend 3,500 points from the final stretch of 2025, including titles in Beijing, Vienna, the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. One of those wins came against Zverev in the Vienna final last October.

Zverev, by contrast, has only 1,080 points to protect. That leaves him 1,810 points behind Sinner, but still with a realistic path to overtake him if the margin tightens.

Carlos Alcaraz is too far back to join the race after missing a significant portion of 2025 because of a wrist injury. That leaves Zverev with a clear opportunity to challenge for the top ranking for the first time in his career.

The year-end No 1 comes with a trophy to be handed over at the ATP Finals in Turin in November, a scenario that would add extra weight if Zverev were to claim it in front of Sinner’s home supporters.

Even so, Zverev was careful not to overstate his standing after the US Open. “You have to take everything into consideration,” said Zverev after his US Open win. “With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not.

“But if we say right, right now, with Jannik being injured and Carlos coming back from injury, maybe. I mean, four, five months ago when both of them were healthy, I wasn’t.

“I was losing to Jannik all the time. So if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that.”

Middle Eastern tournaments on next year’s calendar could be altered if security worries in the region continue, with contingency plans now being discussed ahead of the WTA and ATP Tour events in Dubai and Doha in February 2027.

The issue has resurfaced after the disruption earlier this year, when Daniil Medvedev and fellow finalist Tallon Griekspoor were among the players and ATP staff left stranded in Dubai shortly after the Russian won the Dubai 500 event in February. Missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates led to flights in and out of the country being suspended for days, while Iranian forces attacked American military assets in the area.

According to The I Paper, tennis authorities have already begun considering a possible ‘Plan B’ to prevent a repeat of those complications. Singapore and Australia have been mentioned as potential destinations for the WTA events, although no ‘formal approach’ has been made.

The report also states that ATP officials would prefer to move the tournaments to Europe, but there are no immediate ‘forthcoming options’ available.

A switch may prove more complicated for the women’s tour. Although the Dubai and Doha events are ATP 500s, the WTA tournaments are 1000-level events, which brings greater demands in terms of draw size, prize money, and resources.

For now, both Dubai and Doha’s international airports remain open, but there is little appetite for another disruption like the one that affected the players in March. Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Griekspoor were unable to continue on to Indian Wells for the first Masters 1000 event of the year after the UAE closed its airspace.

At the start of March, Medvedev spoke about being stuck in Dubai with his family and support team. He called it an “unusual” situation, with one hotel reportedly turned into a de facto ‘bunker’. He said at the time, “Of course, the situation is unusual. The airspace is closed, no one knows when we’ll be able to fly. It’s unclear how long this will last, so we’re just waiting to see what happens in the next few hours and days. The airport closure is being gradually postponed.

“As strange as it may sound, I’m very emotional on the court, but in life, it would probably help me to be more emotional at certain moments. For me, everything is fine.

“Naturally, I’ve received a lot of messages from friends and acquaintances; everyone is worried. But I can say for myself that everything is fine.”

Novak Djokovic is set to resume his season at the China Open, which starts on September 30, in a return that stands out after his recent US Open exit.

The Serbian’s campaign in New York ended in the opening round, where Mariano Navone beat him in a five-set match. Djokovic has often had a calmer finish to the season in the later years of his career, but 2026 looks different, with both the China Open and the Shanghai Masters on his itinerary.

His upcoming appearance in Beijing also carries extra weight because he has not played the China Open since 2015, the year he won the title. That makes his return to the ATP 500 event a major moment on the calendar.

In a statement posted to his social media, the 24-time Gradn Slam Champion said: “I’m very happy to announce that I’m coming back after many years to play in Beijing at the China Open.

“I am excited to come back and perform in front of all of you at the National Tennis Centre – one of the nicest venues we have in tennis. A place where I had some incredible memories and great success throughout my career.

“I want to thank all the Chinese fans for for their continuous love and support for so many years. Can’t wait to perform in front of you. See you very soon.”

Djokovic’s history at the event is flawless. He owns a record six titles there and has never lost a match at the tournament. His victories came in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, with final wins over Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The return also comes at a delicate point in his ranking picture, after he recently fell out of the ATP Tour top 10 for the first time since 2018. Since he did not play the China Open in 2025, the event gives him an opportunity to pick up ground.

The draw is likely to be demanding. Djokovic will line up with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, and Jakub Mensik. He will also be the seventh seed, one of the lowest seedings he has had at an ATP 500 event for much of his career.