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Why Carlos Alcaraz’s shock Cincinnati defeat could boost his bid for US Open glory

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Carlos Alcaraz US Open

Carlos Alcaraz looked genuinely shocked by the level of his performance as he slumped to a shocking defeat against Gael Monfils in Cincinnati, but this might just be the perfect reset for the form player in the men’s game.

Rain had forced the players off on Thursday night with Alcaraz a set up but 3-1 down in a second set tie-break and there was an expectation that

Frenchman Monfils was quickly out of the blocks to level the contest, and he then took the decider for a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph.

Carlos Alcaraz advances via retirement to begin US Open title defense - Official Site of the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event

READ: Iga Swiatek hits yet more milestones as she cruises into Cincinnati quarter-finals

Alcaraz’s frustration with his performance surfaced in the deciding set as he smashed his racquet after missing an opportunity to break 37-year-old Monfils’ serve, but that outburst of emotion did not fire his burners as he limped out of a tournament he reached the final in last year.

“I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” said Alcaraz. “I couldn’t play. Honestly, I’ve been practising really well here in this tournament.

“The previous days, I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, moving well. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how I felt like this, but I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. So this match, it was impossible to win.”

He also addressed his explosive racket smash as he added: “I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racquet. It never happened before, because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings.

“Most of the time I could control myself and it could go better in the matches or in the situation that I’ve been feeling before.

“Today, I couldn’t control myself, because, as I said, I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. I think some players, a lot of players, during their careers and during some certain moments, they can’t control themselves. And it was one of the moments for me.”

“It’s kind of really difficult to find some good stuff from this match. So I want to forget it, and try to move on to New York,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference.

“I’ll go to New York and I’ll try to practise well, to get used to those courts. And I will forget this match because I think it is impossible to get any good things about this match.”

His early exit will dent his ATP Ranking push ahead of the US Open, with his hopes of leaping ahead of Novak Djokovic to the No 2 position ahead of the final major of the year now over.

Yet Alcaraz has confirmed over the course of the last few weeks that he can beat Djokovic and world No 1 Jannik Sinner when he is fresh and at his best and the break he will now have ahead of the US Open could be just what he needs.

Alcaraz has had more than enough tennis in recent weeks to take some time off to prepare for his return to Flushing Meadows.

This shocking loss against Monfils will give him a chance to head to New York early and get extra practice in the conditions that he needs to master to win his second US Open title.

Being seeded No 3 for the tournament will be a blow as it means he may need to beat Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic to take the title if his two big rivals get that far in the competition.

Yet the other two members of the new ‘Big 3’ at the top of the men’s game also have some doubts hovering around them.

Sinner admits he is struggling physically amid suggestions that the hip injury that forced him to miss big tournaments during the European clay court season has resurfaced.

Meanwhile, footage of Djokovic has emerged showing him partying in Serbia as he continues to celebrate his cherished Olympic gold men, which he won by beating Alcaraz in the Paris 2024 final.

Alcaraz didn’t get much practice on the super-fast courts in Cincinnati before he played Monfils and the courts in New York should be at a pace that is more to his liking as he targets a third Grand Slam title of the year.

His angry racket smash came as a shock to a tennis world not used to seeing Alcaraz lose his cool, but it highlighted the fire burning inside this magnificent 21-year-old superstar and that will serve him well at the US Open.

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Carlos Alcaraz ‘couldn’t control himself’ as he makes uncanny confession after racket-smashing drama

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Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz has given his verdict on the “worst match of his career” as he admitted that he “could not control himself” when he smashed his racket during the shock defeat to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open.

Fresh from winning silver at the Paris Olympics, Alcaraz was the hot favourite against veteran Monfils and appeared to be on course for the win after taking the opening set on Thursday. With the score 6-4, 6-6 (1-3), play was called off due to rain and they resumed on Friday afternoon.

Alcaraz admitted during the post-match press conference that the rot had started to set in on Thursday.

I'm Ready': Healthy Carlos Alcaraz Chasing Title, No. 1 At Indian Wells | ATP Tour | Tennis

READ: Iga Swiatek closes in on Serena Williams record after opening Cincinnati win

“I just [tried] not to think about the match [Thursday] night. I just want to recover as best as I can, to have a good rest and be ready for today’s match,” the Spaniard said.

“Yesterday, I didn’t play well as well. I think yesterday the longest rally was five balls. So I couldn’t get feelings yesterday. So I just thought that, ‘Well, have some rest, and tomorrow it’s gonna be another day. I’m probably going to feel better.’ But it didn’t happen.”

When the match resumed, the four-time Grand Slam winner was all over the show and Monfils took the tie-breaker to send the match to a deciding set.

With the score 1-2 in the third set, Alcaraz lost his cool and obliterated his racket, but it didn’t do him any good as the Frenchman ended up winning 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

The world No 3 admitted that he lost control.

“I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racket. It never happened before, because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings,” he said. “Most of the time I could control myself and it could go better in the matches or in the situation that I’ve been feeling before.

“Today, I couldn’t control myself, because, as I said, I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. I think some players, a lot of players, during their careers and during certain moments, they can’t control themselves. And it was one of the moments for me.”

Alcaraz is now 38-8 for the season with his defeat to Monfils his second on the trot as he also lost the Paris Olympics gold medal match against Djokovic.

But unlike the Roland Garros match against Djokovic where he played well, the 20-year-old felt he was never at the races against the Frenchman.

“I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” he said. “[I] couldn’t play. Honestly, I’ve been practising really well here in this tournament.

“The previous days, I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, moving well. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how I felt like this, but I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. So this match, it was impossible to win.”

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Carlos Alcaraz ‘already like legends Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’

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Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Roger Federer

Carlos Alcaraz is already a “really, really complete player” despite his age with Gael Monfils insisting the Spaniard is “like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer”.

Aged just 21, Alcaraz is already a four-time Grand Slam winner as he is a two-time Wimbledon champion after defeating Novak Djokovic in back-to-back finals in 2023 and 2024.

Before winning his second title at the All England Club in July, Alcaraz also captured a maiden title at Roland Garros to become the youngest man to win to complete the Surface Slam [winning a title on the three different surfaces in tennis] with his hard-court major coming at the 2022 US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals ambitious Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer goal

READ: Sinner v Alcaraz: Jannik Sinner makes injury confession as he edges towards Carlos Alcaraz clash in Cincinnati

Although he still has some way to go to beat some of the records set by the Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, veteran Monfils sees Alcaraz in the same light as “those legends”.

“At that moment, of course, I see him as Novak, as Rafa, as Roger,” the Frenchman told the official ATP Tour website. “So for me, he’s just a little bit younger, but he is already [like] those legends.”

What makes Alcaraz – who also became the youngest world No 1 when he climbed to the top of the rankings after his title run at Flushing Meadows in 2022 – such a unique player is the fact that he is not just brilliant when it comes to results, but he is also a great entertainer and always plays with a smile on his face.

Alcaraz has often been described as a hybrid of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, and Monfils highlighted some of the youngster’s attributes.

“Big, obviously, big. He is a complete athlete, a tonne of speed, endurance, power, and then his tennis, of course, is quite complete too,” the former world No 6 said.

“Backhand, forehand, it’s quite hard to see where you can sit [and wait]. He improved a lot in the return, serving big. He’s just a really, really complete player.”

The 37-year-old Monfils is in the final few years of his career, but he enjoys taking on youngsters like Alcaraz and current world No 1 Jannik Sinner as it brings out the best out of him.

“For me, it’s always cool to play such a big star like Carlos or Jannik,” he said. “Of course, my age it was Novak or whoever, but to play those youngsters, it’s always a pleasure.”

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Sinner v Alcaraz: Jannik Sinner makes injury confession as he edges towards Carlos Alcaraz clash in Cincinnati

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Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Cincinnati Open

Jannik Sinner may be heading into the US Open as the world No 1, but he also has plenty of questions hovering over him.

After losing against Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals of last week’s Montreal Masters event, fresh concerns over Sinner’s hip injury were raised.

The Italian was struggling with a hip injury during the European clay court season in April and May and then suffered with tonsilitis as he lost in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon against Daniil Medvedev.

Indian Wells. Sinner-Alcaraz, la semifinale che tutti attendono

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He was then forced to pull out of the Olympics due to illness, so all eyes were on the Italian as he played his first match at the Cincinnati Open against American Alex Michelsen.

While Sinner sealed a 6-4, 7-5 win, this was not a convincing performance for a player who extended his record on hard courts in 2024 to a hugely impressive 25-2.

“It was a tough match. He played already some matches but for me, it was the first match here, so I tried to feel the conditions a bit more,” said Sinner.

“I’m very happy to be in the next round. For me this is a place where I used to struggle a lot in the past years, so let’s see what I can do this time.

“I’m trying to stay in a positive mindset, positive moment, and I think that today also brought me the win.”

When asked if he was physically fit, he offered up a less than convincing reply as he said: “For sure not 100 per cent yet, but I’m trying to get used to these conditions.”

Sinner saved three break points in the opening set and five in the second as he was pushed by Michelsen, with the sparkling form Sinner showed as he won the Miami Open on US hard courts back in March not in evidence in this latest outing.

With French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz also in the draw in Cincinnati, Sinner will be hoping his body stands up to the demands in the hot conditions in Ohio as he will need to play better than he did against Michelsen as this was not a display that suggested the world No 1 is peaking ahead of the last major of the year.

Meanwhile, Britains’ Jack Draper battled back from the brink of defeat and required a medical time-out before beating Jaume Munar 7-5 3-6 7-6 (5) in the first round in Cincinnati.

The British No 1 struggled alarmingly the latter stages, but dug deep after treatment on his abdomen in the deciding set and will play Greece’s world number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round.

Draper recovered from 4-2 down in the opening set to twice break Munar, but the Spaniard, ranked 89, levelled it up by taking the second.

Both players broke serve early in the decider and after Draper saved a break point to lead 6-5, the 22-year-old left-hander called for the trainer.

Munar comfortably held serve to take it to a tie-break, but Draper, who became British number one earlier this summer after winning his first career ATP Tour title in Stuttgart, defied waning energy levels to take it 7-5.

Tsitsipas beat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3, while Denmark’s Holger Rune and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime also progressed.

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Carlos Alcaraz sends Jannik Sinner warning as he reveals big goal ahead of Cincinnati Masters

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Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz has sent a message to Jannik Sinner by asserting that ending the 2024 season as the ATP world No 1 is one of his “main goals.”

The Spaniard revealed that being No 1 is a target whenever he does not occupy the position and highlighted the importance of the Race to the ATP Finals to him.

Alcaraz is in Cincinnati to play his first tournament since leaving the 2024 Paris Olympics with a silver medal, following his loss to Novak Djokovic in an enthralling gold medal contest.

Carlos Alcaraz sends Jannik Sinner warning as he reveals big goal ahead of Cincinnati Masters

READ: How does Sinner’s loss affect the battle for World No. 1? Alcaraz could potentially snatch the No. 1

The 21-year-old is currently ranked third in the ATP Rankings on 7,950 points behind world No 1 Sinner (8,770 points) and world No 2 Novak Djokovic (8,460 points).

Alcaraz was a runner-up at the Cincinnati Masters in 2023, meaning he will need to reach the final or win the Masters 1000 event this year to improve his points tally.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is second in the ATP Race to Turin Rankings on 5,960 points, 450 points behind Sinner, who is top with 6,410 points. The Race Rankings count only points from the current year and determine the eight qualifiers for the season-ending ATP Finals.

Speaking ahead of the Cincinnati Masters, Alcaraz outlined his ambition to chase down Sinner at the top of the ATP Rankings and in the Race.

“Obviously being No 1 is a goal every time that I am [behind] and the race is an important ranking for me,” said the world No 3.

“At the end of the year, if you end the race No 1, in the rankings [it is] quite similar, so you’re going to end the No 1. So I’m really focused on that.

“I’m focused on going to every tournament, thinking about playing great tennis, doing a good result just to get better in the race.

“This year, ending the year as No 1 is one of my main goals right now. So I’m looking forward to doing it and let’s see.

“I’m fighting for being No 1 in the race, that’s something that I really want to to do as soon as possible, if I could do it in the future.

“This one is a really important tournament, really good tournament for me. So I’m going to try to play good tennis, try to play same level as I was playing, and let’s see.”

Alcaraz will face either Gael Monfils or Alexei Popyrin in his opening match in Cincinnati, where he is the No 2 seed. The Spaniard could face off with Sinner in the final at the hard-court event.

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Novak Djokovic is about to discover if his tennis career is coming to an end

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Novak Djokovic Olympic

Novak Djokovic has admitted he is writing the final few chapters of his career and his emotions over the next few weeks could be crucial to deciding when he retires.

After achieving his last great goal in tennis by winning the Olympic gold medal with a win against Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris 2024 final earlier this month, what comes next is a question Djokovic will be asking as he prepares for the final months of this year.

After struggling for motivation and slipping to some surprise defeats in the first half of this year, Djokovic bounced back into form as he performed heroically to come through some tight matches at the French Open.

Olympics 2024: Novak Djokovic defeats Carlos Alcaraz to win gold in men's singles final at Roland Garros | Tennis News | Sky Sports

JUST IN: How does Sinner’s loss affect the battle for World No. 1? Alcaraz could potentially snatch the No. 1

His run at Roland Garros was ended by a knee injury that required him to undergo surgery on June 5, but he made a remarkably quick recovery to play at Wimbledon and reach the final, where he lost against Alcaraz.

Djokovic then bounced back to serve up some passionate performances and claim the Olympic gold medal for Serbia allowed him to complete his record of claiming every major title in tennis.

“I thought in 2012, carrying the flag of my country in the opening ceremony was the best feeling an athlete could have – until today,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.

“This supersedes everything that I imagined and hoped I could experience and feel. The fact I won the bronze in my first Olympic Games and ever since then failed to win a medal despite playing in three semi-finals, I couldn’t overcome that obstacle.

“Now, at age 37, I beat a 21-year-old that is probably the best player in the world right now. When I take everything into consideration, this is probably the biggest sporting success I’ve had in my career.

Djokovic’s declaration that he now has everything he could ever need from his tennis career inspired questions over how long the greatest player of them all would continue to play at the highest level.

He has openly admitted that playing in ATP Masters series events is no longer driving his ambition and with the Olympic dream no longer on his horizon, what more can Djokovic aim for?

This is a player with more Grand Slam titles than any male in tennis history, who has been world No 1 for more than two years longer than anyone else, so what is left for Djokovic now?

He could extend his lead in the Grand Slam title race and target an eighth Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer’s all-time record next summer, but that achievement would not define his legacy.

Djokovic has won his battle with Rafael Nadal and Federer to be etched into the record books as the greatest tennis player of all-time and with the Olympic dream complete, he admits there are doubts over what comes next.

“It’s complete,” he said of his career. “I completed all the achievements with this gold medal, but I love this sport. I don’t just play only to win the tournament.

“I play because I love the competition, training my body, perfecting my game. This sport has given me so much in my life and I try to give back to the sport with dedication and the sacrifice I put on the court when no one else is watching.

“I do it as hard as any young player out there, so these successes are no accident.

“I don’t know about the future. I have worked very hard, sacrificed a lot to get to this moment. Now it’s about happiness, joy and celebration.”

Djokovic will need to get back onto hard courts imminently as he prepares to defend his US Open title, but he will not play in any warm-up events after pulling out of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters events.

The Serbian has proved time and again that he cannot be written off in any tournament, but Alcaraz and world No 1 Jannik Sinner appear to have been a step ahead of him over the course of 2024 and for the first time in many years, Djokovic may not arrive in New York as US Open favourites.

Beating Alcaraz in a best-of-three-set match that meant more to him than any other in recent years is an achievement he will cherish forever, but can Djokovic still win a Grand Slam against the young guns snapping at his heels?

The great man himself will get some answers to that dilemma when he steps on court at the US Open for the first time because if his motivation wanes for a second on the biggest stages in tennis, even the great Djokovic will be swept aside by his youthful rivals.

If Djokovic steps back on the court and does not feel the drive and passion to continue to strive for perfection, he won’t wait for too long to accept he sport he as loved and completed has given him all he needs.

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How does Sinner’s loss affect the battle for World No. 1? Alcaraz could potentially snatch the No. 1

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Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner was the heavy favorite to win the Canadian Open title, especially after the absences of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

However, the Italian fell in the quarterfinals to Andrey Rublev, failing to defend the title he won in 2023.

The Italian lost a significant number of points, narrowing the gap with Alcaraz and Djokovic, putting his hold on the top ranking at risk in the coming weeks.
For most of the year, Sinner had comfortably held the No. 1 spot, as none of his rivals could achieve results that brought them close enough to the Italian. However, with the start of the hardcourt swing, we may see changes at the top of the rankings.
Jannik Sinner's Canadian Open exit leaves his top tennis rank vulnerable

READ: “You can’t put him on the same level”: Former world No 1 believes Novak Djokovic falls short of being the GOAT athlete

Sinner is set to lose 800 of the 1,000 points he earned at last year’s Canadian Open, bringing his total down to 8,770 points in the next ranking update. He will have just over a 300-point lead over Djokovic (8,460), with less than 1,000 points separating him from Alcaraz.
Starting Monday, the Cincinnati Open will take place without the defending champion Novak Djokovic, who will lose 1,000 points when the tournament concludes. As for Alcaraz, he finished as runner-up in 2023, so the only way for him to gain points is by winning the title. However, Alcaraz needs to reach the quarterfinals to secure the World No. 2 ranking, though he cannot yet aim for No. 1, as Sinner is not defending points in Cincinnati, and there is no mathematical way for Alcaraz to overtake him yet.
Cincinnati could be a crucial event for Sinner if he hopes to remain No. 1. Without defending points, it’s a golden opportunity to widen the gap with his pursuers and limit the risk of what could happen afterward at Flushing Meadows. There, Djokovic is defending the title (2,000 points), while Alcaraz is defending the semifinals (720 points). Sinner, on the other hand, only reached the fourth round (180 points).
Given this, Djokovic currently has no chance of reclaiming the No. 1 spot, even if he defends his title at the US Open. Alcaraz, however, appears more threatening, having won the last two Grand Slams and looking like the player in the best form in recent months. He also knows what it takes to win the title at Flushing Meadows, having done so back in 2021.
Depending on their results in Cincinnati and the US Open, Alcaraz could potentially snatch the No. 1 spot from Sinner once the fourth Grand Slam of the year concludes. Sinner is guaranteed 8,590 points at the end of the US Open, plus any additional points he may earn in upcoming tournaments, while Alcaraz could reach a maximum of 9,640 points if he wins both the US Open and Cincinnati.
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“You can’t put him on the same level”: Former world No 1 believes Novak Djokovic falls short of being the GOAT athlete

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Novak Djokovic Olympic Games

Yevgeny Kafelnikov has lauded Novak Djokovic as the greatest tennis player of all time but believes that he cannot lay claim to being sports greatest ever athlete.

Kafelnikov puts basketball superstar Michael Jordan, who also played baseball at the pro level, on a pedestal as the greatest athlete of all time.

He says that Jordan’s charismatic draw sets him aside as someone that you just needed to see.

Impressed With Michael Jordan's 30,000,000 Viewership, Novak Djokovic Looks to Emulate Last Dance's Success: "Been Shooting For Years" - The SportsRush

JUST IN: Despite ATP Ranking, Carlos Alcaraz stays as world No 1 in rankings endorsed by Novak Djokovic

“There’s no doubt that Novak is the greatest tennis player of all time, that’s for sure. You can’t put him on the same level as Michael Jordan… I don’t think so, because I grew up idolising the greatest athlete of all time, which was Michael Jordan,” Kafelnikov wrote in a social media post.

“All I wanted to do was watch him play live. To me, he’s still number one, but Novak is definitely in the top three greatest athletes of all time, without a doubt – all the accomplishments, the records he’s broken, the titles he’s won.”

Djokovic found an answer for the new generation at last in Paris, blowing away many with his efforts in overcoming Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match.

The Serbian had identified the need to find a way to best the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner after he was bested in straight sets by the Spaniard at Wimbledon.

“Well, the Olympic Games and US Open are the two big goals for the rest of the year for me really,” Djokovic said as he took in his loss at SW19.

“I’m hoping I can be at my best on those two tournaments, yeah. That’s all I can say right now.

“I mean, being able to reach the finals of Wimbledon, of course, it’s a great confidence boost. But I also feel like in a matchup today against best player right now in the world for sure, I mean, other than Jannik, and both of them are the best this year by far, I feel like I’m not at that level.

“In order to really have a chance to I guess beat these guys in Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today.

“I’m going to work on it. It’s not something I haven’t experienced before ever in my life. I’ve had so many different experiences throughout my career. In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger.

“That’s what I’m going to do.”

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Despite ATP Ranking, Carlos Alcaraz stays as world No 1 in rankings endorsed by Novak Djokovic

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Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic

Jannik Sinner may be sitting at the top of the official ATP Rankings, but Carlos Alcaraz is top of a rankings list that may offer a more accurate reflection of current form.

Alcaraz’s stunning summer of success saw him collect a first French Open title and retain his Wimbledon crown with a crushing win against Novak Djokovic in the final at the All England Club in July.

Now Alcaraz has been confirmed as the world No 1 in the UTR Rankings that use a different method to calculate the current best players in tennis.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic To Face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz In ATP Finals

READ: Novak Djokovic achieves another milestone, joins Federer and Nadal in exclusive group

The UTR rankings are calculated using a different method to the traditional ATP list, with current form and the ranking of your opponent taken into account when the final analysis is made.

The method for calculating the UTR ratings differs greatly from the rolling ATP list, which ranks players based on the points they collect over 52 weeks.

Victories against higher-ranked played are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA ranking, meaning they offer up a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

The UTR rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR rankings have been endorsed by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who has suggested they may offer a more accurate reflection of the current form in the game.

Italy’s Jannik Sinner ousted Djokovic from the top of the UTR rankings after his Australian Open win in January and he backed that up by leaping to the top of the ATP Rankings a few weeks later.

Yet Alcaraz is now at the top of the UTR list after his French Open and Wimbledon wins, with Djokovic down in third place behind Sinner.

Australia’s Alex De Minaur is in the top 5 of the UTR rankings after his impressive form in 2024 and Alexander Zverev is at No 6.

The American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul are also in the top ten, with the impressive form shown by a returning Matteo Berrettini reflected in the UTR list as he is listed as the 12th best player in the world on current form.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev is still in the top ten of the ATP rankings despite a drop in form in recent months, but he is down at a lowly ranking of No 26 in the UTR list.

Despite his stunning recent form, Alcaraz will struggle to oust Sinner from the top of the ATP Rankings in the second half of 2024.

Sinner’s last-16 defeat against Alexander Zverev in last year’s US Open means he will have a chance to gain ranking points if he can reach the semi-finals or win the last major of the year.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz lost 180 points by withdrawing from this week’s Montreal Masters and he also has plenty of points to defend next week if he plays in the Cincinnati Masters, where he was a runner-up last year.

Alcaraz will have opportunities to replace Sinner at the top of the ATP Rankings during the indoor swing on the ATP Tour, but he admits Sinner and Djokovic are still a step ahead of him in those conditions.

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Novak Djokovic achieves another milestone, joins Federer and Nadal in exclusive group

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Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic continues to rack up the accolades, as he joins rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as just the third man to spent 850 total weeks in the top 10 rankings.

The 37-year old recently added the elusive Olympic gold medal to his resume at the Paris Olympic Games, defeating Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final. Subsequently, he began his 850th week in the top 10 of the ATP ranking list.
Novak Djokovic is superior to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in key area', claims renowned coach

READ: Carlos Alcaraz reveals what Novak Djokovic told him straight after Olympic heartbreak

The 24-time Grand Slam champion became just the third man to achieve this legendary milestone, joining fellow Big three members Federer and Nadal on this exclusive list. The Swiss Maestro leads the pack with 968 total weeks in the top 10, followed by Nadal with 912 weeks.
Djokovic cracked the top 10 rankings over 17 years ago, and appears motivated to extend his stay as he has shown little sign of slowing down. The former World No.1 entered the top 10 in 2007, after losing his first Masters final at Indian Wells to Nadal. He has remained consistent over the past decade and a half, only dropping out of the top 10 in 2017 after sustaining an elbow injury that left him sidelined.
Nonetheless, the Serbian came back in 2018, winning Wimbledon in July and reaffirming his spot amongst the elite. He is inching closer to spending 300 consecutive weeks in the top 10, and could produce another year-end top 10 finish should he successfully defend the 3000 points accrued from last year’s events at Cincinnati and the US Open.

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