Zverev saves four match points in Vienna to move one win from world No. 1; Alcaraz beats Khachanov

Alexander Zverev is one match away from becoming world No. 1 for the first time. In the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Tuesday, he saved four match points and beat Spanish wildcard Martin Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (11). Carlos Alcaraz, who was added to the field late, also won his opener, beating Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (5).

Five match points before the finish

The match lasted three hours and five minutes. Zverev broke Landaluce in the 12th game to take the first set. The 20-year-old Spaniard won the second set and kept the decider close. Zverev led 6-5 in the third set and had two match points on Landaluce's serve, but Landaluce saved both and forced a tie-break.

In the tie-break, Landaluce had match points at 6-5, 8-7, 9-8 and 10-9, and Zverev saved all four. Zverev converted his fifth match point when Landaluce hit a forehand wide. Tennis TourTalk counted 41 winners and eight aces from Zverev, who won only six more points than his opponent overall (113 to 107). Zverev said afterwards that he had been "pushed to the absolute limit" and praised the world No. 67.

It was Zverev's 63rd match win of 2026, the most on the ATP Tour this season. He has now won all six of his first-round matches in Vienna.

What the No. 1 race looks like

Jannik Sinner has not played since Wimbledon because of a right knee problem, and he announced in early October that his 2026 season was over. As last year's points come off his total, Sinner is losing points he cannot defend, and that has opened the door for Zverev, who is ranked No. 2.

According to DPA and Tennis TourTalk, Zverev will move ahead of Sinner in next Monday's rankings (2 November) if he wins one more match to reach the Vienna quarter-finals. He would be the second German man to reach No. 1, after Boris Becker. His next opponent will be the winner of Wednesday's match between Tallon Griekspoor and Brandon Nakashima.

Alcaraz comes back from a break down

Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, got a wildcard into the Vienna field at short notice. He was a break down early in the first set against Khachanov, a former world No. 8, before recovering. He won the second-set tie-break with a drop shot. The Spaniard, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, missed mid-April to late August with a wrist injury and lost in the third round at the Shanghai Masters this month.

In the next round Alcaraz plays either Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili or home wildcard Jurij Rodionov.

Elsewhere in Vienna

Fourth seed Flavio Cobolli beat wildcard Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. It was the Italian's 36th win of the season, his best total in a single year, and it lifted him to fifth in the live race to the ATP Finals in Turin. He plays fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini next. Daniil Medvedev can take fifth place back if he beats Daniel Merida on Wednesday.

Key takeaways

• Zverev beat Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (11) after saving four match points in the deciding tie-break.
• If Zverev wins his next match and reaches the Vienna quarter-finals, he becomes world No. 1 on 2 November.
• Alcaraz beat Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (5) after coming back from a break down in the first set.
• Cobolli beat Dimitrov for his 36th win of 2026, a career best for one season.

FAQ

What does Alexander Zverev need to become world No. 1? He has to reach the quarter-finals in Vienna by winning his second-round match against Tallon Griekspoor or Brandon Nakashima. He would then pass Jannik Sinner in the rankings released on Monday 2 November.

Why is Jannik Sinner losing the No. 1 ranking? Sinner has been out since Wimbledon with a knee injury and has ended his 2026 season. He cannot defend the points he won at the end of last season, so his total keeps falling.

Has a German man been world No. 1 before? Yes. Boris Becker reached No. 1 in 1991. Zverev would be the second German man to hold the top ranking.

Sources: Tennis TourTalk, AFP via Minute Mirror, DPA via Yahoo Sports, Tennis365, Forbes, Tennis Watcher