Carlos Alcaraz is closing in on the world No. 1 ranking after defeating Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final.
Sinner, who retired from the match due to illness, saw his lead in the ATP rankings shrink significantly.
Alcaraz’s win sets up a high-stakes battle at the US Open. Sinner, the defending champion, has 2,000 points to protect, while Alcaraz only has 50 points to drop.
This means Alcaraz will start the US Open as the live world No. 1, and Sinner will need to outperform him in New York to keep his spot.
Beyond the top two, the rankings saw notable changes.
Karen Khachanov moved into the top 10 at No. 9, while teenager Joao Fonseca and qualifier Terence Atmane made impressive climbs to career-high rankings of No. 44 and No. 69, respectively.
Atmane’s surge came after a surprise semi-final run.
