Carlos Alcaraz is on fire after his stunning US Open win! The Spanish tennis star just lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows and grabbed back the World No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings. Now, he’s in prime position to snag the ATP Year-End No. 1 title for the second time in his career.
Fresh off his US Open triumph, Alcaraz has surged ahead in the ATP Live Race To Turin—the key season standings that decide the year-end No. 1 battle. He holds a massive 2,590-point lead over his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner, who’s sitting in second place. No other player comes close; the gap to everyone else is a whopping 6,000 points, according to ATP stats.
That US Open final was a golden chance for Sinner to narrow the gap and spark a thrilling showdown for the year-end top spot in the last two months. If Sinner had beaten Alcaraz on Sunday, it would’ve swung 1,400 points his way. But Alcaraz held strong, and now he’s set up perfectly with big events like the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals still ahead in 2024. Remember, he last ended the year as No. 1 back in 2022.
Joining this elite club isn’t easy—only 10 players have done it more than once. Alcaraz could become the second Spaniard after Rafael Nadal, who achieved it five times, to pull off the feat. Excitingly, Alcaraz and Sinner are the only singles players already locked in for this year’s ATP Finals in Turin.
Meanwhile, other stars are hustling to qualify for the season finale. Fifth-ranked Ben Shelton and eighth-ranked Lorenzo Musetti are both chasing their first-ever spots there. It’s a tight race for Musetti, who’s just 80 points ahead of ninth-placed Jack Draper. But bad news for fans—Draper announced on Monday that he’s out for the rest of the season with an arm injury. The British player, who was ninth in the ATP Live Race To Turin, won’t get to chase his ATP Finals debut. Instead, the 23-year-old plans to focus on recovery after a breakout year where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.
Tennis fans, keep an eye on these rankings as the season heats up—who will claim that year-end glory?
