Jannik Sinner will have to fight with Carlos Alcaraz if he wants to end this season at the top of the ATP rankings, but it will not be easy to resist the assault of the Spanish champion who will have far fewer points to defend between now and the end of the season.
The current world No.1 had dominated the men's tour in the second half of 2024, winning every title possible except for the Beijing ATP 500 (in which he was defeated by Carlitos at the end of a truly electrifying final).
However, the Italian star will be able to play on his favorite surface and will give his best to extend his stay at the top of the ATP rankings. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria reached the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 without losing a single set and will face French veteran Adrian Mannarino today for a place in the quarterfinals. The latter took away the satisfaction of eliminating local idol Tommy Paul in the previous round, but he doesn't seem to have the right weapons to create problems for Jannik on such a fast court.
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Sinner is a perfect combination
Sinner's goal is to defend his title in Ohio before focusing on the US Open, the last Major of the season, in which he had expressed a dominant level in the last edition. The four-time Grand Slam champion gained further confidence thanks to his amazing triumph at the Wimbledon Championships last month, which also allowed him to forget the excruciating disappointment he suffered in the Roland Garros final.
The Italian champion's tennis is excellent on all surfaces, but he makes even more of a difference on hard courts where he is able to demolish any rival.
Through his official X profile, Patrick McEnroe explained that the current world number 1 is the perfect combination of two legends like Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi.
Jannik has never hidden that he was inspired by the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the early years of his career, evolving his game over the years and becoming very complete.
