Alexander Zverev, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, further solidified his place as one of the most successful players to have yet to capture a Grand Slam title with his runner-up finish at the 2025 Australian Open. This performance brought his Grand Slam final tally to three, showcasing his consistent excellence at the highest level of tennis.
In light of Zverev’s achievement, we turn our attention to other notable players who have reached the coveted world No. 2 ranking but have not been able to secure a Grand Slam crown. Here are six players who have reached the summit of the ATP rankings but never managed to win a major.
Marcelo Rios
Marcelo Rios stands as the only male player in tennis history to have achieved the world No. 1 ranking without ever clinching a Grand Slam title. The Chilean reached the top spot for the first time in March 1998, where he spent six weeks as the world No. 1 and 33 weeks in the top 2 between 1998 and 1999. Rios’ lone Grand Slam final appearance came at the 1998 Australian Open, where he was dominated 2-6, 2-6, 2-6 by Petr Korda. Over a decade-long career (1994-2004), Rios amassed 18 ATP titles, including five Masters Series crowns, from 31 finals, and also won the Grand Slam Cup, a season-ending event held until 1999.
Alex Corretja
Alex Corretja reached his career-high ATP ranking of world No. 2 in February 1999, a position he held for two weeks. The Spanish clay court specialist is best known for his two French Open runner-up finishes—losing to Carlos Moya in straight sets in 1998 and Gustavo Kuerten in four sets in 2001. Throughout his career from 1991 to 2005, Corretja won 17 titles from 30 finals, including an ATP Finals victory and two Masters Series titles from five finals.
Magnus Norman
Swedish star Magnus Norman enjoyed a six-week stint as world No. 2, a position he reached in June 2000. Norman’s career highlights include a semi-final appearance at the 2000 Australian Open and his only Grand Slam final at that year’s French Open, where he fell in four sets to Kuerten. Over a career spanning from 1995 to 2003, Norman earned 12 titles from 18 finals, including a Masters Series win in Rome.
Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas reached his career-high ranking of world No. 2 in May 2002, holding the position for a total of six weeks that season. The German was widely regarded as one of the best players never to have reached a Grand Slam final, with four semi-final finishes at majors. Haas was stopped at the Australian Open by Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1999), Marat Safin (2002), and Fernando Gonzalez (2007), and was also defeated by Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon semi-finals. Over a stellar career from 1996 to 2018, Haas secured 15 titles from 28 finals, including one Masters Series title, and earned an Olympic silver medal.
Casper Ruud
Norwegian sensation Casper Ruud reached a career-high No. 2 ranking in September 2022, holding the position for three weeks. Ruud’s major achievements include three Grand Slam finals, where he finished as the runner-up on each occasion—losing to Rafael Nadal (2022 French Open), Novak Djokovic (2023 French Open), and Carlos Alcaraz (2022 US Open). With 12 ATP titles to his name, including one ATP 500 crown and 11 titles at the 250 level, Ruud has also been a runner-up in 11 additional tournaments, including the ATP Finals and two Masters 1000 events.
Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev’s journey to the world No. 2 ranking has spanned 26 weeks to date, with his first appearance in the spot coming in June 2022. The German has made three Grand Slam final appearances, but has fallen short each time. He was defeated by Dominic Thiem in a five-set thriller at the 2020 US Open, lost in another five-set battle to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open, and was beaten in straight sets by Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final. Zverev, however, is no stranger to success, with 23 titles from 37 finals, including two ATP Finals championships, an Olympic gold medal, and seven Masters 1000 titles.
These players have consistently shown their elite-level talent, securing impressive ATP rankings and numerous titles, but for various reasons, have yet to cross the final hurdle to win a Grand Slam.