Carlos Alcaraz's decision not to participate in the Shanghai Rolex Masters the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season had increased Jannik Sinner's chances of returning to the top of the ATP rankings by the end of this year.
The Italian ace had lost the leadership of the ATP rankings after the US Open final, won by the 22-year-old Spaniard in four sets last month, which ended a reign that had lasted for more than a year. The 24-year-old from Sesto Pusteria was certainly conditioned by the fact that he was unable to play tournaments from February to May due to the three-month ban due to his deal with WADA.
Carloslooks set to win thebattle this year
The four-time Grand Slam champion lifted his second trophy in Beijing and was also the huge favorite in Shanghai, where he had triumphed in 2024 thanks to an amazing run, but was forced to retire during his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor due to cramps.
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Because of that premature elimination, he lost many points in the ATP rankings and his chances of overtaking Carlitos were drastically reduced. Unless there are changes, Jannik is expected to play one more tournament than Carlos between now and the end of 2025 (the Vienna ATP 500). Sinner had not played in Paris-Bercy last year, but he will have to defend his title at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin where he had been dominant in the last edition (Alcaraz - instead - had already been eliminated in the round robin).
Speaking on 'Tennis Channel', former American ace Sam Querrey said it will be tough for Sinner to end this year as No.1: Carlos isnt going to go lose lose to end the year, right? I think Carlos is going to win some matches, maybe some tournaments. But Sinner last year, remember how well he played at the end of the year? He could roll off three in a row late, but I think the lead from Carlos is just too much right now.
