Just a few hours ago, we witnessed the final of the Beijing ATP, on a Wednesday, which is quite unusual considering it typically happens on a Sunday. Due to this peculiar week, the ATP ranking has also been updated on a Thursday instead of Sunday, while the Shanghai Masters 1000 is already in full swing. On this occasion, Carlos Alcaraz has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, reclaiming the 2nd spot and surpassing Alexander Zverev. The title in Beijing has given him the opportunity to stay close to his top rival and number 1: Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard denied Sinner the chance to defend his title, causing the Italian to lose some points in Carlitos' pursuit of narrowing the gap in the rankings. A crucial title to stay in the race for number 1, a tough feat to achieve this year, but positioning Alcaraz with a significant advantage for the upcoming months when the Italian must defend a large amount of points between the ATP Finals and the Australian Open. Step by step, Alcaraz is beginning to emerge, aiming to have a memorable end to the year. Therefore, it will be key to maintain the 2nd spot to avoid facing Sinner until a potential final in Melbourne.
Nevertheless, Alcaraz should not get too confident because Zverev is closely on his heels. The German's goal is the same as Alcaraz's: to start as the second seed in the first Grand Slam of the year and gain an advantage in the draw. Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev complete the top 5 of a ranking that sees no more changes among the top 10 players in the world. Two players experiencing significant climbs are Arthur Fils (up 3 places to 21) and Ugo Humbert (up 4 places to 15) thanks to becoming the winner and runner-up respectively in Tokyo.
Further movements in the rankings involve two significant entries into the top 100 by Jacob Fearnley and Alexander Ritschard. The 23-year-old Brit rises 28 places at once after a dreamy period winning two consecutive Challenger titles in Rennes and Orleans. Ritschard has a similar trajectory, being the champion at the Lisbon Challenger and moving up 22 places. On another note, Roberto Bautista progresses to the 57th spot while Denis Shapovalov drops out of the top 100 (#102).
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ranking ATP: Alcaraz ya es oficialmente el número 2 del mundo