Carlos Alcaraz dethrated rival Jannik Sinner on the ATP rankings, but the world's No. 1 position will not officially change the owner at this time.
The 2,000 points that Sinner won after the championship at Flushing Meadows last year would be deducted after the US Open closed. If he successfully defended the championship, Sinner will continue to hold the No. 1 position in the world.
However, as long as Sinner does not win the Grand Slam in New York, the opportunity will open for Alcaraz to end the Italian rival at the top of the rankings.
Sinner has maintained the No. 1 ATP from June 2024, despite the 3 -month suspension of this year for a doping sentence after the test model at the Indian Wells Masters last year discovered a substance banned from the assimilation steroid group.
Now, Alcaraz is aiming to overtake the throne. If winning the US Open championship for the second time, the Spaniard will officially return to the world's No. 1 position after the last Grand Slam of the year ended.
Even when Alcaraz did not raise the trophy in New York, he could still recapture the first place if Sinner was eliminated early or had an injury like at Cincinnati Masters last week.
Despite the drawing into a difficult branch, the defending champion Roland Garros Alcaraz is still expected to go far and can completely confront Sinner in the third consecutive Grand Slam final.
The former world No. 1 Mats Wilander believes that the rest is quite far away, and it is difficult to prevent Sinner and Alcaraz from creating an additional appointment in New York.
“I think in a few coming Grand Slam, the story will always revolve around Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. They can dominate the same as in Roland Garros, Wimbledon and constantly participate in the final? I believe yes,” Wilander said.
“I think we are witnessing the two players who can compete at least 15 Grand Slam finals before the end of their career. They are so good, and now they outperform the rest.”
“So, the main story of this year's US Open will be: Sinner and Alcaraz can meet again in the final and recreate a classic match like at Roland Garros or not. And this script will probably repeat many times in the next year.”
Alcaraz has just been crowned Cincinnati Masters after Sinner was forced to withdraw in the final because of the disease, but the fact that the Italian tennis player had not lost a complete match on the hard yard since the defeat against Alcaraz in Beijing last October.