Sinner Dethrones Alcaraz as World Number One for a Week

Jannik Sinner still has a chance to end the year as the world number one. The Italian, champion of the Paris Masters 1000 after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-4, 7-6 (4)), seizes the ATP crown from Carlos Alcaraz. Both will contest the honour of finishing the season as the best at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Sinner tops the rankings with 11,500 points, 250 more than Alcaraz, who lost in the second round in Paris to Cameron Norrie and will relinquish the number one spot for at least a week.

This Monday, Alcaraz will vacate the top position, but he will reclaim it the following Monday when Sinner loses the 1,500 points he earned last year by winning the ATP Finals undefeated. On that same day, this year's Finals will already be underway, where Alcaraz depends on himself to return to the highest spot in the rankings.

The Spaniard has a clear path: he needs to win three matches in Turin. If he goes undefeated in the group stage, he will be number one at the end of the year. Winning two matches and reaching the final will also suffice. As Alcaraz and Sinner are the top two in the rankings, they are guaranteed not to meet in the group stage and could avoid each other until the final.

While the Spaniard has spent 44 weeks as the top-ranked player, Sinner has accumulated 66 weeks. With the victory in Paris, Sinner has won five titles this year: the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Beijing, Vienna, and Paris. The triumph over Auger-Aliassime marks his 26th consecutive indoor hard court win, bringing his career total to 23 titles, one less than Alcaraz.

Sinner's season is remarkable, although it is marred by the three months he missed between Australia and Rome due to a double positive for clostebol at Indian Wells 2024, for which he agreed to a sanction with the authorities.

The San Candido native will end the season in Turin and will not compete in the Davis Cup Finals, which are being held in Bologna for the first time. After winning the last two titles, Sinner will prioritise rest and will not join his team for the event.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz will travel to Turin this week for his third appearance at the Masters Cup. In 2023, he lost in the semi-finals, while in 2024, he only managed to win one match in the group stage before being eliminated early. The tournament will begin next Sunday, November 9, and run until the 16th. Afterwards, the Spaniard will head to Bologna to be under the guidance of David Ferrer in the Davis Cup.