By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Vienna is Alexander Zverev’s gateway to the world No. 1 ranking.
Today, Zverev was on the brink of a stunning first-round exit.
The top-seeded Zverev re-routed the threat in a thriller.
Zverev denied four match points in a tense tie break, outdueling Spanish wild card Martin Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(11) in a dizzying Vienna duel.
Twenty year-old Landaluce saved four match points of his own—two when serving at 5-6 in the third set, the third down 6-7 in the tie break and the fourth at 10-11 in the tie break—and was on the verge of his greatest career win.
Pushed to the very edge, Zverev saved the first match point on a gutsy and massive second serve to level the tie break, 6-all.
Afterward, Zverev said the world No. 67 played disarming tennis at times.
“Yeah, [I was pushed] to the absolute limit. I mean, Martin played a hell of a match,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Serving unbelievable. The first forehand after the serve was unbelievable.
“I mean, I barely touched the ball, so definitely credit to him. He played an amazing match.
“I know I have to improve, for sure. It was not perfect from me, but he pushed me today to the absolute limit, for sure.”
The two-time Grand Slam champion Zverev has already secured the season-ending world No. 1 ranking for the first time as the world’s current top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, has already pulled the plug on his season due to a cranky right knee issue.
By virtue of this victory, Zverev now stands one win from rising to world No. 1 for the first time on Monday.
If Zverev beats either Tallon Griekspoor or Brandon Nakashima to reach the quarterfinals, the 29-year-old German will rise to the top spot on Monday.
Zverev said his mission is to celebrate No. 1 in Vienna speaking the same language as fans.
“Yeah, for sure. After Germany, for me this is the perfect place to become world number one because it’s a German-speaking region,” Zverev said. “I absolutely love Vienna. I think the fans are unbelievably supportive of me here.
“And yeah, I would definitely enjoy that.”
In his Vienna debut, Landaluce played bolder tennis saving the first two match points—including attacking behind a forehand and knocking off a high forehand volley on the second match point. That stand helped the Spaniard force the final-set tie break.
Credit Zverev for going all in on that second serve to save match point at 5-6. Another stinging Zverev serve forced an errant forehand return as he saved the second match point for 8-all.
Throughout this match, the Spaniard challenged Zverev’s sometimes spinny forehand wing. On his third match point, Landaluce engaged in a forehand exchange but netted a forehand down the line on the 11th shot.
Zverev zapped his eighth ace out wide erasing a fourth match point for 10-all.
Showing spring in his legs more than three hours into the match, Zverev raced up to a drop shot, shoveled a reply down the line and gained his fifth match point when Landaluce’s lunging volley fell wide.
The three hour, five-minute battle ended when Landaluce scattered an inside-out forehand wide.
“I’ve been on tour for a long time. Everything happens,” Zverev said of the wild finish. “But yeah, I mean, look, it was an extraordinary match. I think the way I saved the match points as well,
“I have to give myself credit because I think I played phenomenal on the match points, and I’m definitely happy with the win.”
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