This Week in Tennis: Alcaraz Completes Perfect…

Welcome to This Week in Tennis, where we catch up on all the latest and biggest stories from the ATP and WTA Tours.

Alcaraz Tops de Minaur for Vienna Title

Carlos Alcaraz finished off a perfect week and a perfect season by beating Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in the Vienna final on Sunday.

The world No. 3 cruised through the 500-level tournament without dropping a set to win his fourth tournament of the year. Alcaraz also finished the season a perfect 16-0 at ATP 500 events, adding Vienna to titles in Doha and Tokyo.

“I’m just really happy that at the end I found my way, played great, and obviously it has been a really emotional and amazing week for me,” said Alcaraz. “I learned a lot, to keep going forward, step by step, playing on indoor courts, and trying to gain more confidence playing on this surface.”

The 23-year-old holds a 26-match winning streak at ATP 500 events and has not lost at that level since dropping the Barcelona final to Holger Rune in 2025. His 11 titles at this level trail only Roger Federer (16), Novak Djokovic (15), and Rafael Nadal (15).

Alcaraz now heads to Paris for the final Masters event of the season.

Shnaider Holds off Fernandez for first 2026 Title

Diana Shnaider held off a furious rally from Leylah Annie Fernandez to squeak by the Canadian for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win to capture the trophy in Tokyo.

Shnaider jumped out to a quick 6-4, 4-0 lead and appeared to be well on her way to a straight-sets win. However, Fernandez would win seven of the next eight games to force a third before Shnaider closed the door for good.

Shnaider picks up her game when the lights are brightest and has now won six consecutive WTA final matches. The victory brings her up to a career-high No. 11 in the WTA rankings.

It was another tough loss for Fernandez, who has now finished as runner-up in two consecutive tournaments following her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Ningbo final last week. Despite the tough luck in finals, the Canadian is finishing the season strong, having won 16 of her past 21 matches, including her sixth-career title in Singapore in late September.

Zverev Reaches World No. 1

Alexander Zverev is the No. 1 player in the world.

Following a memorable season in which he’s won two Grand Slams, Zverev reached the pinnacle of the sport on Monday, leapfrogging Jannik Sinner to become the 30th world No. 1 in ATP history.

The German is the second-oldest man to reach the milestone at 29 years, six months, and 13 days. 30-year-old John Newcombe is the oldest to reach the top spot, having done so in 1974.

“No words can truly describe this year,” Zverev wrote. “Two Grand Slam titles, countless memories and today, I woke up as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. It is very special. To be able to feel what it is like being on top of the world is amazing.”

All Winners This Week:

WTA 500 - Tokyo

Women’s Singles: Diana Shnaider* (1/6) d. Leylah Fernandez
Women’s Doubles: Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini d. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani

ATP 500 - Vienna

Men’s Singles: Carlos Alcaraz* (4/28) d. Alex de Minaur
Men’s Doubles: Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner d. Ryan Seggerman and Learner Tien

ATP 500 - Basel

Men’s Singles: Valentin Vacherot* (1/2) d. Jiri Lehecka
Men’s Doubles: Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti d. Henry Bernet and Dominic Stricker

WTA 250 - Guangzhou

Women’s Singles: Harriet Dart* (1/1) d. Lilli Tagger
Women’s Doubles: Polina Kudermetova and Maria Timofeeva d. Yi Tsen Cho and I-Hsuan Cho

* 2026 Titles/Career Titles

The ATP's best return to Toronto next summer for the National Bank Open July 31 to Aug. 12, 2027 at Sobeys Stadium. Click here for information about tickets.

The WTA's best return to Montreal next summer for the National Bank Open July 31 to Aug. 12, 2027 at IGA Stadium. Click here for information about tickets.

Feature Photo : ATP Tour