Astonishing margins: World number three closer to 1000th in the world than Sinner and Alcaraz in top two ranking positions

The ATP is currently being dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are both on another level compared to anyone else. The only players who are able to stop them are each other, and that shows when looking at the rankings. The third ranking is closer to the world's number 1000 than number two, highlighting the gap currently being represented on court.

This gap grew even more in the Paris Masters when Sinner finally triumphed in a Masters 1000 event this year. After losing in the final to Alcaraz in Rome and Cincinnati, he was forced to retire from his third-round match in Shanghai. He has now managed to end his duct, finding success in Paris for the first time to re-overtake the Spaniard in the number one spot. This will only be brief, with the ranking points from the 2024 ATP Finals set to come off, pushing Sinner back down into second.

The gap the big two have over everyone else in the rankings is staggering. Alexander Zverev is currently sitting in third place with 5,560 points. This puts him 5,690 points behind Alcaraz (11,250) in second. For context, the gap between the German and 100th place in the rankings is 5,536 points. Currently, Zverev is closer to the player in 1000th than he is to second, despite the disparity in places.

Once more, it goes to shed light on what Sinner and Alcaraz are currently doing in the sport, running away from the rest in ominous fashion. This is even despite Sinner missing three months of the year while serving a suspension. If he had played in that period, the gap would have been even bigger. Even Alcaraz, who missed three Masters 1000 events, could have widen the gap.

It is not just in the rankings, but on court there is a big difference in skill. This was showcased in the Paris Masters semi-final between Sinner and Zverev. The former ATP Finals champion managed to clinch just one game, with Sinner winning the other 12 in a dominant display.

In the titles won this year, it is clear to see that is Alcaraz or Sinner are in the event, it is very likely no one else are going to stand a chance. The pair have won 13 titles in 2025 between them, with Alcaraz coming away with eight and Sinner five. This includes the four Grand Slam titles, with them sharing two apiece. In events that they have both competed in, one of them go on to win the title.

While a large part of this is due to the class of Sinner and Alcaraz on the court, a factor is that their main rivals are not on the top of their game. This is represented when a 38-year-old Novak Djokovic is seen as their closest rival, and even he has failed to beat either of the big two since the start of the year in the Australian Open. His four Grand Slam semi-final appearances show he is still good enough to compete, but not at the level to get over the line.

Zverev is also someone who is expected to be challenging at the top but has been unable to replicate his prior form on court. With just one title in 2025, Zverev's highlight of the year may possibly come in Melbourne when he reached the final of the first major event of the year, only to lose to Sinner in straight sets.

Aside from those two, former stars such as Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have lost their way in recent times, other top talents such as Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper are yet to make that next step yet, and it is too soon for such talents as Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik to be consistently battling at the top.