The US Open has once again lived up to its reputation as a tournament of twists and turns! As the dust settles on another thrilling edition with Jannik Sinner’s victory, the ATP rankings have shaken things up, propelling US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz to new heights. But Carlos Alcaraz faces new obstacles even after winning two Grand Slams in a year. And in the meantime, an underdog makes his way to the top!

The tennis world is still buzzing from the electrifying action at the US Open, where Sinner held his maiden trophy and kept Fritz from creating history in New York after a three-set match (6-3, 6-4, 7-5). The former World No. 5, Fritz now inches closer to his best ranking with his new 4,060 points and is at No. 7! The quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, Fritz, with two singles titles this season, is now enjoying his resurgence in tennis!

However, at the top two spots sit Sinner (No. 1) and Alexander Zverev (No. 2 rank with 7,075 points) leaving Carlos Alcaraz below at No. 3 with 6,690 points. The 2022 US Open winner, Alcaraz’s second-round exit from the Flushing Meadows, might have a lot to do with this, and now add a round-of-32 exit from the Cincinnati Masters as well. 

Moreover, the Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz’s debut performance and a final round run in the Olympics did not earn him any points as per the organizer’s rule, leaving him high and dry. Since then, his form has significantly declined and after the US Open run, which he considered to be a fight with himself, he said, “I need to figure out exactly what’s going on with me… The tennis schedule is very tight. I’ve had moments of disconnect, but I think I’m still getting to know myself, and maybe as a person, I need more time.”

For the German player, Zverev, this season proved to be fruitful, starting with his first QF entry in Melbourne (since 2021) and then proceeding to win two titles this season. Moreover, his multiple semifinal and quarterfinal appearances this year, including a run to the final round in the French Open, have helped him steadily rise through the ranks! However, even amid this unfavorable change, Carlos Alcaraz tries to keep his goal set for the future!

Carlos Alcaraz shares his goal of reaching the No. 1 position in tennis!

A couple of years ago, Carlos Alcaraz made it to the top ranking by being the youngest to do so (at the age of 19). Later, he received the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year tag for his impressive form in 2022. Now, the Olympic silver medalist has fallen to the top 3 ranking. However, in an earlier interview, he openly admitted, “Obviously being No. 1 is a goal every time that I am [behind] and the race is an important ranking for me. At the end of the year, if you end race No. 1, in the rankings [it is] quite similar, you’re going to end race No. 1.” 

The 21-year-old with 15 singles titles further added that he is “focused” on achieving this goal soon. Furthermore, he stated, “I’m focused on going to every tournament, thinking about playing great tennis, doing a good result just to get better in the race, and this year, ending the year as No. 1 is one of my main goals right now. So I’m looking forward to doing it and let’s see.” However, with the end of the last Grand Slam of the year, Carlos Alcaraz’s aim might be a little more difficult to achieve. But the four-time Grand Slam champion has defied the odds quite a few times and hopefully, we will witness him rise through the ranks soon! For now, Fritz and Zverev will continue to enjoy their best rankings!