Jannik Sinner started the year by defending his Australian Open title against Alexander Zverev in straight sets. However, the Italian hit a roadblock as he got hit with a three-month suspension for doping violations from 2024. Talk about highs and lows. Now, the world No. 1 is set to miss four Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid. He’ll return just in time for the Italian Open in May and then head into the French Open. But will this break cost him his dominance? Not everyone thinks so, as Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have yet to close the gap.

Former Italian pro Paolo Lorenzi isn’t buying the idea that this gap will shake things up. “Neither Zverev nor Alcaraz had the necessary continuity last year to follow Sinner,” Lorenzi said as reported by Spanish publication, We Love Tennis.

“A gap like today’s is not made up in three months. The difficulties observed may come from the fact that both try to progress quickly, but such transformations take time.” His point? Sinner’s rivals may not be consistent enough to capitalize on his absence.

The Italian tennis star’s 2024 season was nothing short of legendary. A 73-6 record, two Grand Slam titles, three Masters 1000 trophies, and a win at the ATP Finals. Oh, and let’s not forget—he’s been world No. 1 since June, dethroning none other than Novak Djokovic. Right now, he’s sitting comfortably with 11,330 points in the PIF ATP Rankings. Zverev is way behind with 8,135, and Carlos Alcaraz is even further back at 7,510.

And Zverev has been on a bumpy ride lately. Since making the Australian Open final, his form has taken a nosedive. The German has played four events since Melbourne and hasn’t been able to clinch any titles from them. His latest disappointment? A shocking second-round exit at Indian Wells, courtesy of Tallon Griekspoor.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, has had mixed results. The Australian Open saw him reach the quarterfinals, but he ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic. He regained his form by winning the Rotterdam Open, but stumbled into the Qatar Open quarterfinals. Still, he’s on a solid run at Indian Wells. The Spaniard bulldozed past 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win. Before that, he cruised past Denis Shapovalov and Quentin Halys.

He’s almost 4,000 points behind Sinner, but with the Italian out, this could be his golden chance to close the gap. The 21-year-old tennis sensation, though, isn’t stressing over rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz is ‘not thinking’ about the top spot

Carlos Alcaraz is laser-focused on defending his title at the Indian Wells tournament. The ranking is far from his mind. “Well, I’m not thinking really much about recovering the No. 1 in two or three months,” the Spaniard said after his latest win.

“I mean, that could make me feel extra pressure with that. I’m just focused on every day and every tournament, because if I’m doing the right things, if I’m just focused on every day and the things I have to improve, the result is gonna be there and then the No. 1 is going to come after.” But rankings aren’t the only thing at stake.

If Alcaraz wins Indian Wells again, he’ll join an elite club. Only Roger Federer (2004-06) and Novak Djokovic (2014-16) have won three consecutive singles titles at the tournament. That’s the kind of company any player would want to be in.

His next challenge is a quarterfinal clash with Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentine trails 0-1 in their head-to-head, with Alcaraz dismantling him at Queen’s Club last year. Can Cerundolo put up a fight this time? Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner’s suspension has shaken up the tour, but the real question is: Will anyone take advantage of it?