Alcaraz: “Even though Sinner is not here, it’s difficult to recover the No 1”

Jannik Sinner‘s ineligibility to compete on the ATP Tour till May 4 has opened a window of opportunity for Carlos Alcaraz to become the world No 1 again but the Spaniard feels it’s a tough job.

Notably, Alexander Zverev, placed second in the ATP rankings, is better poised to dethrone Sinner, who’s serving a doping ban till May 4, but is going through a rough patch. Hence, world No 3 Alcaraz is the next best bet.

The 21-year-old is currently in Indian Wells to defend his title at the Masters 1000 tournament. He’s already through to the third round, having received a bye in the first round and beaten Frenchman Quentin Halys (6-4, 6-2) in the second on Saturday.

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Alcaraz last sat atop the ATP singles ranking in September 2023 before Novak Djokovic took over the reins. Sinner then toppled Djokovic in June 2024 and remains on the summit to date with 11,330 points, 3,820 more than Alcaraz.

Thus, the Spaniard, though determined to become the world No 1 again, offered a realistic view on his prospects on Saturday.

“Well, it’s something that it is in the mind, but I’m not really focusing on it,” he told the press at Indian Wells. “Because in every tournament I just focus on myself, I focus on, okay, I really want to play good tennis, I am focused on how I can be better, better player. If I’m doing the right things in every tournament, the No 1 is gonna come after.

“So if I’m thinking about the No 1, I have to do good results, I have to win tournaments. If I’m focusing on it just to recover the No. 1 I’m putting extra pressure on myself, which I don’t want it. So I just keep going, focus on the things that I have to improve on myself, and we will see. But right now, even though Jannik is not here, it’s really difficult to recover the No 1. So let’s see in a couple of weeks.”

ATP top 10 on sunday (march 9)

1. Jannik Sinner — 11,330 pts
2. Alexander Zverev — 8,135 pts
3. Carlos Alcaraz — 7,510 pts
4. Taylor Fritz — 4,900 pts
5. Casper Ruud — 4,045 pts
6. Daniil Medvedev — 3,930 pts
7. Novak Djokovic — 3,900 pts
8. Andrey Rublev — 3,480 pts
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas — 3,405 pts
10. Alex de Minaur — 3,335 pts

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