Carlos Alcaraz’s Pursuit of ATP No. 1 Ranking
Carlos Alcaraz is on the prowl to reclaim the ATP No. 1 ranking, with Jannik Sinner’s lead now diminished after recent tournaments. Sinner has held the top spot for more than 14 months, having surpassed Novak Djokovic in June 2024. Following his triumph at the 2025 Australian Open, he established a strong advantage in points, becoming the frontrunner to end the year as the highest-ranking player.
Impact of Sinner’s Suspension
However, Sinner’s three-month suspension, which lasted from February until just before the Italian Open in May, opened the door for his competitors, including Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, to narrow the gap. Unfortunately, both players failed to capitalize on the opportunity to overtake him during his absence.
Alcaraz’s Recent Success
After a challenging March, Alcaraz surged in the rankings, achieving remarkable success from April onwards. His victories include the French Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Italian Open, Queen’s Club Championships, and most recently, the Cincinnati Open, where he claimed his first title despite Sinner’s early retirement in the opening set.
This setback for Sinner meant he could not defend his Cincinnati title, resulting in a loss of 550 points, leaving him currently with a total of 11,480 points. Alcaraz, who had a disappointing early exit in the 2024 season against Gael Monfils, now boasts 9,590 points after earning 1,000 from Cincinnati. This places him just 2,000 points behind Sinner.
Future Prospects
There are strong indicators that Alcaraz could mathematically seize the No. 1 ranking after the US Open. Sinner will need to protect 2,000 points from last year’s victory at Flushing Meadows, where Alcaraz was surprisingly knocked out in the second round by Botic van de Zandschulp.
ATP Rankings Updates
The ATP rankings also saw a new addition to the Top 10: Karen Khachanov, who moved up to No. 9 after reaching the round of 16 in Cincinnati, following a solid performance as the runner-up in Toronto.
The other players in the top ten remained unchanged: Alexander Zverev holds the No. 3 spot, followed by Taylor Fritz (No. 4), Jack Draper (No. 5), Ben Shelton (No. 6), Novak Djokovic (No. 7), Alex de Minaur (No. 8), while Lorenzo Musetti stays at No. 10. Holger Rune, however, is the only player to drop out of the Top 10, falling to No. 11 after his Cincinnati Open quarterfinal run ended against Terence Atmane.
Despite being eliminated early in both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, Daniil Medvedev managed to climb two spots to No. 13—still a considerable drop from the expectations of his previous years. Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe‘s inability to replicate his success from last year’s championship run at Cincinnati saw him plummet to No. 17, as he aims for his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Emerging Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca has ascended to a career-high ranking of No. 44, buoyed by considerable global support and potential for a deep run at the US Open if he performs well. Other notable changes in the rankings include Andrey Rublev falling to No. 15, Francisco Cerundolo entering the Top 20 at No. 19, and Grigor Dimitrov sliding down to No. 25.
