Alexander Zverev has reached another final this season after beating Holger Rune in the Paris Masters semi-final.
Zverev reached his 12th ATP Masters 1,000 final with the 6-3, 7-6(7-4) win, beating the Dane in one hour and 47 minutes.
But along with the victory, Zverev went second in the ATP Live Rankings, while he will be the new world number two when the new ATP Tour rankings are confirmed.
Zverev is shining despite a lungs problem, with the German set to overtake Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz into second.
Only Jannik Sinner will be ahead of him in the new ATP rankings, epitomising just how strong he has been this season.
Alexander Zverev wants to emulate Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
But Zverev does feel there is still plenty of room for improvement, having been asked in his latest Paris Masters press conference why he practises after his matches.
“No, it’s not about that,” Zverev said about being tired. “I answered that yesterday. For me, it’s about improving a few things. I feel like, you know, Jannik and Carlos, they are doing a few things better than me at the moment. I want to improve.
READ MORE: Paris Masters 2024: How to watch, prize money, dates and everything you need to know
“I want to improve not for tomorrow, not for today or because of the matches I played here. I want to generally improve for next year as well. That’s the reason I do take this as a lot of practice here in this week, and I want to improve my game for next year, as well.”
Alexander Zverev falls short of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
It may only be Sinner that will soon be standing in the way of a first-ever number one ranking for Zverev, but the latter is still well short of the former when it comes to getting over the line.
And the same can be said for Alcaraz, with the Spanish ace having won four titles this season, including two Grand Slams.
Sinner meanwhile won the other two Grand Slam titles, with the Italian boasting a stunning seven titles overall in 2024.
Zverev, in stark contrast, has lifted just one trophy this season, with his sole victory coming at the ATP Masters 1,000 Rome.
Having been pulled up on his comments about Sinner and Alcaraz doing things better than him, the German responded: “Some things, yeah.”
And asked what he is most concerned about regarding the duo, he said: “Concerned, I don’t know. But I feel like they are so aggressive. I think tennis is going towards that direction.
“I think when they get an easy ball, when they’re in an attacking position, 90% of the time the point is over, whether it’s a winner or an unforced error. That’s how hard they hit the ball, that’s how aggressive they are. I think in that aspect I can improve. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
