These are the keys to Carlos Alcaraz's new stage as ATP ranking number 1

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 14 Nov 2025 | 09.50

Carlos Alcaraz, keys to finishing 2025 as number 1. Photo: gettyimages

Streaming ATP Finals live tennis

🎾 Carlos Alcaraz vs Felix Auger Aliassime

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

An unforgettable season. That's the only way to describe what Carlos Alcaraz has accomplished in 2025. After securing the ATP ranking number 1 at the end of the season, it's time to assess what this could mean in the short and medium term, as well as the historical implications of this success.

Many people tend to trivialize the importance of being ATP ranking number 1, but it's clear that Carlos Alcaraz gives vital importance to this success. While it's true that accumulating weeks in that position throughout the year has a significant impact, reaching a higher status in terms of historical relevance comes when talking about finishing seasons at the top of the ranking. The Spaniard achieves this for the second time in his career, having managed to outperform a strong contender like Jannik Sinner.

What it means for Alcaraz to finish 2025 as world number 1

Finishing more than one season as the world's best is something that only Hewitt had accomplished before turning 23, and Carlos now joins the Australian. He did it for the first time in 2022, taking advantage of Djokovic's inability to compete in tournaments held in the United States due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID. Now, three years later, he achieves it again as a much more mature player, overcoming the resistance of a Sinner who, despite being unable to compete for three months, pushed him to his limits.

For now, pending the outcome of the 2025 ATP Finals, the player from Murcia has played 78 matches this year, winning an impressive 70. This translates to 8 titles, including 2 Grand Slams and 3 Masters 1000, figures that more than merit the ATP ranking number 1. His setbacks in Miami and Paris, coupled with his absences in Madrid, Canada, and Shanghai, led to a supreme version of Sinner challenging him until the end.

The Spaniard could end the year with over 12,000 points and will arrive at the 2026 Australian Open as number 1

Carlos still has room for improvement, but what he has achieved in 2025 is very hard to replicate, reaching the final in 9 consecutive tournaments, from Monte Carlo to Tokyo. He is on track to finish the year with over 12,000 points, needing to make it to the final in Turin (12,050 points) or win it (12,550 points). These are spectacular numbers that clearly reflect the historic season he has had. It would be crucial to widen the gap with the Italian as much as possible, knowing that the rivalry will continue from early 2026 and how interesting it would be to accumulate weeks at the top of the ranking.

Currently, the player from Murcia has held the number 1 spot for 45 weeks, with 20 of them being consecutive. Finishing the year atop the ATP ranking guarantees him reaching 50 weeks on December 15, and he will present himself at the 2026 Australian Open with 54 weeks leading the standings. It is likely that regardless of what happens in Melbourne, Alcaraz will also start as number 1 since Sinner defends the title, and Alcaraz only has the quarterfinal he reached in the previous edition.

After the first Grand Slam of the season concludes, there is a favorable scenario for Sinner to narrow the gap since he doesn't have to defend a single point in events like Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid, with the opportunity to compete in an ATP 500 event like Rotterdam or Dubai.

How long could Alcaraz retain the world number 1 against Sinner's challenges?

Carlos's goal might be to start the clay-court swing as the number 1, which won't be easy as he will have to defend the 500 points in Rotterdam, despite having minimal point defense in Miami and room for improvement in Indian Wells after reaching the semifinals this year.

To try to legitimize his time at the top of the ATP ranking for as long as possible, what Carlos Alcaraz does in this final stretch of the 2025 ATP Finals will be crucial. Starting with a 150-point margin over Sinner (if the Italian wins the tournament and Alcaraz loses in the semifinals) is not the same as having a 1,550-point advantage, which would happen if Carlos defeats Jannik in the final.

Alcaraz will be the 11th player in history with more than a year finished as ATP number 1

It's worth reviewing the list of legendary players who have finished more than one season at the top of the ATP rankings, a list now including Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard becomes the eleventh player to spend over a year as the world's best player, matching the records of Björn Borg, Lleyton Hewitt, and Stefan Edberg.

Novak Djokovic: 8
Pete Sampras: 6
Roger Federer: 5
Jimmy Connors: 5
Rafael Nadal: 5
Ivan Lendl: 4
John McEnroe: 4
Björn Borg: 2
Lleyton Hewitt: 2
Stefan Edberg: 2
Carlos Alcaraz: 2

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Estas son las claves de la nueva etapa de Carlos Alcaraz como número 1 del ranking ATP