Alexander Zverev’s long wait for No. 1 ranking comes in dominant tennis season

Alexander Zverev finally rose to No. 1 in the men's tennis rankings on Monday, a reward for a dominant season during which he shed his reputation as a talented underachiever and became a two-time Grand Slam champion. Zverev won the French Open and the US Open, putting to rest his tag as the best player yet to win a Grand Slam. He's guaranteed the year-end No. 1 ranking, too. “It’s a very special day, for sure,” Zverev said in Paris, where he is set to compete in the Paris Masters this week. “Paris has been quite special to me this year, generally. It’s a place where I had a lot of up-and-downs, I had a lot of heartbreak, but this year, winning my first Grand Slam here and becoming world No. 1, it’s a very special feeling.” He became the 30th man to reach No. 1, and the oldest in more than 50 years to top the rankings for the first time. John Newcombe was 30 when he reached the top spot in 1974. Zverev reached the rankings summit more than four years after becoming No. 2. “I had to wait,” he said. “But sometimes you’ve got to wait for the best things in life. I’m...