The ATP Year-End No. 1 is the player who finishes the calendar season at the top of the men’s rankings, meaning the player who has accumulated the most PIF ATP Ranking points over the season. It is one of the most prestigious honours in men’s tennis because it rewards consistency across a whole year rather than a single tournament. Alexander Zverev became the latest player to earn it in October 2026.
How the Year-End No. 1 is decided
Players earn ranking points for their results at tour events, with the most on offer at the Grand Slams, the ATP Masters 1000 events and the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. The player who has gathered the most points over the calendar season finishes as Year-End No. 1. For a full breakdown of the points system, see our guide to how tennis rankings work.
The honour can be clinched before the season is over. Once no rival can mathematically overtake the leader in the remaining events, the ATP confirms the Year-End No. 1. In 2026, for example, the ATP set out before the Shanghai Masters that Zverev would clinch it either by reaching the semi-finals in Shanghai, or if both Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton lost at any stage of the event.
Year-End No. 1 is not the same as World No. 1
The weekly rankings and the year-end honour can tell different stories. A player can lead the points race for the season while another player still sits at No. 1 in the weekly rankings, because the weekly list counts results over a rolling period.
Zverev’s 2026 season shows this clearly. He clinched Year-End No. 1 while ranked No. 2, and the ATP noted that the earliest he could rise to No. 1 in the weekly rankings was 2 November. When he does, he will become the 30th member of the ATP No. 1 Club. The most recent player to join it before him was Jannik Sinner, in June 2024.
Who has finished a year as No. 1?
According to the ATP, 20 of the members of the No. 1 Club have finished at least one season as Year-End No. 1. With Zverev, they are:
Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefan Edberg, Lleyton Hewitt, Bjorn Borg, Andy Roddick, Mats Wilander, Ilie Nastase, Andy Murray, Gustavo Kuerten, Jim Courier, Jannik Sinner, Andre Agassi and Alexander Zverev.
Records
| Record | Holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Most Year-End No. 1 finishes | Novak Djokovic | 8 (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023) |
| Second-most finishes | Pete Sampras | 6 |
| Oldest first-time Year-End No. 1 | Alexander Zverev | 29 years, 217 days on the 2026 ranking date |
| First German Year-End No. 1 | Alexander Zverev | 2026 |
Zverev’s age record is a narrow one. On the ranking date of 23 November 2026 he will be three days older than Andre Agassi was in 1999, and 20 days older than Andy Murray was in 2016.
The active players on the list
Only four active players have finished a season as Year-End No. 1:
- Novak Djokovic: 8 times
- Carlos Alcaraz: 2 times (2022, 2025)
- Jannik Sinner: 1 time (2024)
- Alexander Zverev: 1 time (2026)
Zverev’s 2026 season
Zverev’s path to the honour was built on the biggest stages. After losing his first three Grand Slam finals, he won his first major at Roland Garros, reached the Wimbledon final five weeks later, and then won the US Open. His record at the majors this season was 25-2.
He has also been the tour’s most prolific winner, with 60 match wins in 2026 on the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. No other player had more than 44 at the time he clinched. He has been especially hard to stop once ahead, winning the first set in 63 of his 75 matches and going 56-7 in those matches.
“It’s been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York,” Zverev said when his place at the top was confirmed.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi congratulated him on becoming “just the 20th player to do so.”
The final step came quickly in Shanghai. Ben Shelton lost to Arthur Gea on Sunday, Jannik Sinner, second in the race, had already ended his season through injury, and Alcaraz’s third-round defeat to Zizou Bergs on Monday completed the scenario the ATP had set out before the event.
Germany had waited a long time for this moment. Boris Becker was the first German to reach No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, in 1991, but never finished a season in top spot.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ATP Finals count towards Year-End No. 1?
The ATP Finals awards ranking points like other tour events, so results there count towards the season total. In some years, as in 2026, the honour is settled before the Finals are played.
Can a player be Year-End No. 1 without ever being World No. 1 in the weekly rankings?
Year-End No. 1 is decided by the season’s points, not by the weekly list, so the two can differ during the year. Zverev clinched the honour while still ranked No. 2, and the ATP said the earliest he could reach No. 1 in the weekly rankings was 2 November.
Who has the most Year-End No. 1 finishes?
Novak Djokovic, with eight. Pete Sampras is second with six.
Has a German man finished a year at No. 1 before Zverev?
No. Zverev is the first. Boris Becker reached No. 1 in 1991 but did not end a season there.
Sources: ATP Tour.
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