Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he has felt the weight of expectation on his shoulders since his great rival Jannik Sinner was banned from tennis for three months due to a drug violation and that may explain why he has taken longer than expected to claim top spot in the ATP Race rankings.
Alcaraz’s impressive win at the Monte Carlo Masters saw him climb back to No 2 in the ATP Rankings and also allowed him to leap ahead of Sinner in the points totals for 2025.
While the official ATP Ranking is evaluated over a rolling 52-week period, the ATP Race charts the progress of players in a calendar year and remarkably, Sinner held on to the top spot in that list until last Sunday.
That is despite the fact he has played just one tournament this year, with his Australian Open title in Melbourne giving him all of his points so far this season.
Sinner’s 2,000 points from his win in Melbourne gave him a commanding lead in the ATP Race rankings, which are used to calculate the eight players who qualify for the end-of-season ATP Finals.
Now Alcaraz has finally moved ahead of Sinner after his win in Monte Carlo, as he had 2,410 points for this year after his first win in the Principality.
Alcaraz will have another chance to eat into Sinner’s lead in the ATP Rankings when he plays in front of his home fans in an ATP 500 tournament this week and he has been honest in admitting the battle with his great rival is on his mind even when the Italian is not allowed to play.
“Since Jannik hasn’t been able to play tournaments, a lot of people have asked me about it and talked about it, about how important a time it is for me to reach No 1 again or to win tournaments,” said Alcaraz.
“Probably, in a way, I’ve been thinking about it too much instead of playing good tennis and enjoying myself on the court and in the matches.
After Miami, I realized the path I have to follow and the things I have to do.
I don’t have to think about the results or anything else, I just have to have fun.
“That’s the most important thing for me, and not paying attention to expectations or what people say about you.
That’s what I’m trying to do, and I think it’s going well for me so far. Today was the best match I’ve played so far in this tournament.
I didn’t let him get in, dominate, and come back. I showed my good tennis throughout the match.
“I’m happy to have reached this level, but I think I can do better. At the beginning of the week, with the first clay-court tournament, you focus on adapting to the conditions.
The ball comes to you differently, the game on clay is different. Once I’ve reached this level, I have to keep improving and, if possible, raise it.”
Germany’s Alexander Zverev sits in third place in the ATP Race, with most of his ranking points from 2025 coming from his run to the Australian Open final.
Indian Wells Masters champion Jack Draper is in fourth place, with Novak Djokovic in 5th.
Alacarz’s success in knocking Sinner off the top off the ATP Race ranking is unlikely to be replicated by the official ATP Ranking any time soon, with Sinner still more than 2,000 points ahead of his Spanish rival.
As he missed last year’s Rome Masters due to injury, he will have a chase to chase fresh ranking points in his comeback tournament next month, which could allow him to extend his lead at the top.
