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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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Rafael Nadal legacy concerns raised by close ally with schedule up in the air

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Rafael Nadal Olympics

Rafael Nadal is yet to confirm his next move after representing Spain at the Olympics.

Spanish tennis great Alex Corretja has warned that it will be ‘almost impossible’ for Rafael Nadal to play at the US Open after taking part in the Olympics. Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic in the second round of the men’s singles event at Roland Garros and teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s doubles.

The 38-year-old is widely expected to retire at the end of the season but is yet to reveal when he will bring the curtain down on his glittering career. He recently appeared on the entry list for the US Open but later admitted that he could skip the tournament after his Olympic farewell.

Rafael Nadal Paris Olympics

JUST IN: Sinner gives his thoughts on the Djokovic-Alcaraz ‘high level’ Olympic final

Corretja has since expressed doubt over Nadal’s participation at Flushing Meadows, suggesting that he would need to play in Cincinnati before the US Open to avoid struggling with the change to hard courts. However, he added that Nadal could feature for Spain in the Davis Cup later this year.

“For the US Open on a fast court? You can’t get there without having played on a hard court in New York,” Corretja told El Larguero. “Is he going to go to Cincinnati in 10 days with the change of surface again? I see it as almost impossible.

“He has to find a place where he says: ‘This is as far as I want to go and it is worth making that effort, like up to the Laver Cup’. What if he helps in one way or another in the Davis Cup team, maybe motivating himself to play doubles?

“[He could] contribute something to the team that in September would put him in the semis and, maybe, if he goes to the final, he would play in November. If not, how do you train in Manacor now thinking about what I am preparing for? For me, that is the problem.”

Nadal has already confirmed that he will take a short break from tennis before announcing his next move after a busy summer period. Speaking before the Olympics, he did not give much away but insisted that he would play at the Laver Cup in September.

“Nothing is linear in this life,” he said. “There are moments and states which normally go hand-in-hand with physical states. I try to enjoy and live what I feel at each moment, always with a positive vision of what my day-to-day is within my possibilities.

“After this, I am going to take some time to think carefully about what I need for myself as a person, what I really want to do. I will play the Laver Cup. After the Games, I will take some time to think carefully about what I need.”

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Sinner gives his thoughts on the Djokovic-Alcaraz ‘high level’ Olympic final

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Jannik Sinner Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz

Despite his preparations for the upcoming North American hardcourt season, World No.1 Jannik Sinner found time to watch the men’s Olympic final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, and was quick to praise the quality of tennis.

Djokovic and Alcaraz faced off on the clay courts of Roland Garros, which played host to the tennis event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. An Olympic gold medal was the only accolade missing from Djokovic’s resume, and the Serbian finally struck that accomplishment off his list as he prevailed in a 7-6(3) 7-6(2) victory.
In a rematch of the 2024 Wimbledon final, it was Djokovic who emerged victorious during their encounter at the Olympics. The 24-time Grand Slam champion seemed determined to achieve the one accomplishment that had eluded him his entire career, and dropped to the ground in tears following his victory.
Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic

READ: Serena Williams slams Paris restaurant after claiming they turned her and her kids away

In an interview after the final, Sinner, who withdrew from the Olympics after consulting with his medical team, was asked to give his thoughts on the historic encounter.
“Yeah, of course, I watched a little bit,” responded Sinner. “Because in the beginning I was practicing, so when I came back I watched the whole second set. Yeah, it was a very high level match. I think everyone agrees with that. I think it was a very physical match.
“And you know when two of the best players in the world face each other at the moment, they are producing something very special so it was a pleasure to watch this kind of match and I think everyone of us enjoyed it, this kind of level. We don’t see it everyday so yeah, it was an amazing match.”

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“I put my heart, soul, body, everything on the line”: Novak Djokovic achieves Olympic Games destiny dream at age 37

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Novak Djokovic Olympic

Novak Djokovic finally got his hands on the one piece of silverware missing from his trophy case: the Olympic gold medal.

The Serbian tennis great beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in an enthralling men’s singles final at Roland Garros on Sunday (4 August).

Djokovic adds the gold medal to the bronze he won in Beijing 2008 to complete a historic ‘Golden Slam’ at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic wins gold

JUST IN: Carlos Alcaraz left in floods of tears as Olympic Games gold medal dream dissipates against Novak Djokovic

The record 24-time Grand Slam champion dropped to his knees and elbows as he was overcome by the gravity of the moment. For a few moments, Djokovic was seen trembling on the red clay of Court Phillipe-Chatrier.

Already considered the greatest male player of all time, Djokovic became the fifth in an elite group of players to complete the ‘Golden Slam’ – winning all four major titles and the Olympic singles gold. He joins Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams to achieve the feat.

The match was billed as the dream cross-generational clash pitting the 21-year-old Alcaraz against the 37-year-old Djokovic, the youngest and oldest to contest a singles gold medal since 1988.

The contest lived up to the hype as none of the players would give an inch resulting in two tiebreakers, with Djokovic finding the edge in to win in straight sets with the match lasting just short of three hours.

Djokovic dished out some payback after Alcaraz’s back-to-back finals victory over the Serb at Wimbledon last month.

“When the last shot went past him, that was the only moment I actually thought I could win the match. I mean I believed that I could win, but to actually win it, because he keeps on coming back. He keeps on asking me to play my best tennis,” Djokovic said after the match.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m still in shock, honestly. I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold at age 37. I finally did it.”

Alcaraz sat stunned and in tears after the draining match but would bow out of his maiden Olympics with a silver medal while sharing in a historic contest.

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Carlos Alcaraz left in floods of tears as Olympic Games gold medal dream dissipates against Novak Djokovic

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Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz Olympic

Carlos Alcaraz was left in floods of tears as his Olympic Games gold medal dream dissipated against Novak Djokovic losing out in two tie-breaks 7-6(4) and 7-6(5) to the greatest of all time.

Djokovic’s destiny was sealed with the Serbian only needing the gold medal to complete a career golden slam. But despite being at the start of his career and still being well within his 20’s when he plays in LA. It still showed how much it meant to Alcaraz.
A player who is not one to show emotion was in tears as he only took home the silver medal. Similar to Iga Swiatek who was in tears in losing the semi-final, Alcaraz is usually one to see the positive side.
Alex Corretja spoke to him on Eurosport and Alcaraz said that he gave everything but it wasn’t enough as he made him smile by the end of the interview amid tears. It was an emotional moment all around with Novak Djokovic also on tears.
Carlos Alcaraz BREAKS Down In Tears After Losing To Novak Djokovic In Paris Olympics Gold Medal Match : WATCH | Times Now

READ: Novak Djokovic sends threat to Carlos Alcaraz as Serb seeks revenge for Wimbledon

His famous IDEMO celebration saw him sat on his bench at the end of it with a towel wrapped around his eyes as he cried completing a career goal. He had never even reached a final of an Olympic Games no mind winning it.
On his final attempt ever, he has done it. A player who long couldn’t complete the yearly Golden Slam and just fell short didn’t do so again. Also against all the odds with some giving him minimal chance of winning against a player who seems to have his number. Alcaraz will be back but Djokovic proves again and again that he can’t be counted out and adds the final piece to the puzzle.

 

 

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Novak Djokovic sends threat to Carlos Alcaraz as Serb seeks revenge for Wimbledon

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Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz Olympic

Novak Djokovic has admitted he’s on the lookout for revenge when he meets Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic singles final.

Djokovic missed out on a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title last month, having been schooled by Alcaraz in the final at the All England Club.

Alcaraz romped to a straight-set victory during the pair’s mid-July encounter, while confirming back-to-back Wimbledon final victories over 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic.

But Djokovic has vowed to go all out when he takes to court Philippe-Chatrier tomorrow afternoon for the Paris 2024 gold medal match against Alcaraz.

When is the Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic Olympic tennis gold medal match? | ATP Tour | Tennis

JUST IN: Djokovic finally breaks through to first Olympic final, set to face Alcaraz for the gold medal

Speaking after his semi-final victory over Lorenzo Musetti, Djokovic said: “Although we played once [here], I beat him in the semis, I lost to him in the final of Wimbledon quite comfortably.

“Different surface… I feel like I’m playing and moving better than I did at Wimbledon, so hopefully I’ll come out and play my best tennis and in a way, I have nothing to lose as I’ve already secured a medal, so I’m going to go for it.”

There’s an added pressure on Djokovic heading into the gold medal match, given the 37-year-old has never topped the podium at the Olympics.

Making his debut at the Beijing Games 14 years ago, Djokovic does boast an Olympic medal, but only a bronze one – something he’s keen to change this weekend.

He added: “It was such a tense match [against Musetti], a lot of emotions. So much expectation and stress coming into today’s match, particularly [trying] to secure a medal for my country.

“A first final of the Olympics for me [so] I’m thrilled. Obviously I want to win the gold, in a few days’ time.

“I’m going to do my best to do that, but already this is a huge result for me under these circumstances and I was very nervous today, and before the match, I lost three out of four semi-finals of the Olympic Games that I’ve played in my career, so I really wanted to get through this hurdle.”

Remarkably, Djokovic enters the clash as the underdog, with Alcaraz the form player heading into Sunday’s match as the form player.

Alcaraz has won two of his last three tournaments, both of them Grand Slams, with the 21-year-old looking to add to his already illustrious honours list.

Gold at his debut Games will only serve to enhance Alcaraz’s status as one of – if not the – best in the tennis world right now.

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Djokovic finally breaks through to first Olympic final, set to face Alcaraz for the gold medal

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Novak Djokovic Olympic

Novak Djokovic (No. 2) reaches his first Olympic final first Olympic final after beating Lorenzo Musetti (No. 16) 6-4, 6-2.

The Serb had failed in all three of his Olympic semifinals so far, but at the age of 37, he is ready for gold. but at the age of 36 he is ready to challenge for gold for the first time in his career.

In a duel of high tension, Djokovic overcame a strong Musetti in the first set and eventually took advantage of the Italian’s shortcomings to take advantage of the Italian’s shortcomings, especially on the backhand. Now ‘Nole’ prepares to challenge Carlos Alcaraz once again in a final.
The first set saw Musetti ready to compete on equal footing with the 24-time Grand Slam champion. In their last encounter at Wimbledon, Djokovic had been immensely superior to his opponent, but this time on clay, Musetti showed much more comfort in his service.
Novak Djokovic

READ: Paris Olympics: ‘Worried’ Novak Djokovic Confronts Unsettling Reality as Serbian Dream Stands on the Brink

Djokovic started the match with noticeable special motivation but found a rival playing at a very high level. The first break points came in the third and fourth games, but neither could capitalize. Djokovic consistently pressured Musetti’s backhand, which the Italian managed to counter, at least in the first part of the match.
However, Nole persisted on that side, and when leading 5-4, he took advantage of a single opportunity to break and take the set 6-4, despite the evenly matched duel. Djokovic committed 12 unforced errors compared to Musetti’s 15, clearly showing it was a battle of nerves.
In the second set, the tension continued to escalate. Musetti secured an early break, but Djokovic immediately recovered it. Both players repeated breaks in the third and fourth games, keeping the score tight. However, Nole’s impetus started to put him ahead of the Italian, improving his first serve to 74%, while Musetti had only 52%, a very low percentage against one of the best returners in history.
Musetti paid dearly for his lack of first serves in the second set. After the 2-2, Djokovic went all out to secure the win, taking the next four games consecutively. In total, Musetti suffered five consecutive breaks and couldn’t maintain the high level from much of the first set.Djokovic finally reaches the Olympic final 16 years after his first semifinal. This time, he is just one match away from achieving the coveted Career Golden Slam, with the Olympic gold medal being the only title he has yet to win. It won’t be easy, as he will face Carlos Alcaraz, the most recent Roland Garros champion.
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