Alexander Zverev's road to year-end World No. 2: How the German overtook Carlos Alcaraz despite his 2 Slam wins
Alexander Zverev fell shy of a Major triumph this year but enjoyed another stellar season thanks to his consistent results. He won two titles this year, both at the Masters 1000 level, and returned to his peak career ranking of No. 2, and finished the season ranked in second place as well.
While Jannik Sinner was by far the best player on the tour this season, Zverev, along with Alcaraz, were right behind him. The Spaniard also won two Major titles this year, and yet he finished the season ranked No. 3.
Winning a Major offers 2,000 points to the champion. For Zverev to leapfrog Alcaraz, who won two of them this year, is quite a feat. Here's a look at how he was able to one-up his younger rival to end the season as the World No. 2:
Alexander Zverev led Carlos Alcaraz until the latter's Wimbledon triumph
Alexander Zverev had a narrow lead over Carlos Alcaraz following the conclusion of the early hardcourt swing. The German's triumph at the United Cup, along with semifinal finishes at the Australian Open and the Miami Open, and a quarterfinal at the Indian Wells Masters fetched him 1,835 points.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, lost to Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. He then made the last four at the Argentina Open, and defended his title at the Indian Wells Masters. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, and these results helped him secure a total of 1,700 points during this period.
However, Alcaraz missed a good chunk of the clay swing due to an injury, and only participated in the Madrid Open in the lead-up to the French Open. He reached the last eight in the Spanish capital, where he was the two-time defending champion.
Zverev, on the other hand, continued to rack up points. He added another 1,250 points prior to the French Open, with a title at the Italian Open giving him a huge boost. He had 3,135 points prior to the start of the season's second Major, while Alcaraz had 1,900 points.
The two worked their way through the French Open draw to reach the summit clash. Zverev led by two sets to one, only for Alcaraz to stage a memorable comeback and capture his third Major title. While the German lost the match, he still had the edge when it came to ranking points.
Zverev's runner-up finish pushed his tally to 4,385 points, while Alcaraz's triumph put him right on his tail with 3,900 points. The grass swing was disappointing for the German, who added only 400 points on the surface.
Alcaraz defended his Wimbledon crown, which pushed him way ahead of Zverev. Following the conclusion of the grass court Major, the Spaniard had 5,950 points, while his older rival had 4,785 points.
A strong push towards the end of the season helped Alexander Zverev edge past Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings
After the conclusion of Wimbledon, players had the Olympics on their minds. Alexander Zverev chose to prepare for it by competing in Hamburg, where he finished as the runner-up and added 330 points. It didn't help him out in the Olympics, where he lost in the quarterfinals, while Carlos Alcaraz bagged the silver medal.
Alcaraz's form took a hit after that as he lost in the second round of the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, and added only 60 points from these two tournaments. Zverev had a better time in North America and added 1,000 points to his tally courtesy of quarterfinal appearances at the Canadian Open and the US Open, and a semifinal showing at the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz had 6,010 points prior to the start of the Asian swing, while Zverev took the lead with 6,115 points. The Spaniard won the China Open and put some distance between them as he bagged 500 points due to his victory. He gained another 200 points with a quarterfinal showing at the Shanghai Masters.
Zverev only participated in the Shanghai Masters, and his fourth-round exit fetched him 100 points. He gained another 100 points with a quarterfinal finish at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. He had 6,315 points heading into the Paris Masters, while Alcaraz had 6,710 points.
Alcaraz reached the third round of the Paris Masters and received 100 points for it. Zverev, meanwhile, won the tournament to jump ahead of the Spaniard with 7,315 points. The battle for the year-end second spot came down to the ATP Finals, and both were drawn in the same group.
Zverev remained unbeaten in the group stage and eventually lost in the semifinals. Alcaraz bowed out in the group stage received 200 points, and lost to his older rival as well. The German added 600 points to finish the season ranked No. 2 with 7,915 points, ahead of the Spaniard with 7,010 points. The 27-year-old's strong finish in the last few weeks helped him pip the four-time Major champion to the second spot.