ATP Race update after French Open: Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner solidify top spots as the Race intensifies

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have once again distanced themselves from the rest in the ATP Race, after being the protagonists of an epic Roland Garros final. Both are now even further ahead in the ATP Race – with the Spaniard leading – by more than 1,000 points over third place.

We are only halfway through the season – with two of four Grand Slams played and five of nine Masters 1000s. The clay-court swing has concluded, marking an important part of the season, and the eight players who will qualify for the ATP Finals are slowly starting to take shape.

For reference, in 2024, the 8th qualifier was Andrey Rublev, with 3,760 points (leaving out Alex De Minaur – 3,745). In 2023, the 8th was Holger Rune (3,460 points) – leaving out Hubert Hurkacz with 3,245 points [Hurkacz finished 9th but managed to enter the tournament due to Tsitsipas' injury].

Carlos Alcaraz was crowned champion of his 5th Grand Slam title, after defeating Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6[10-2]. He added 2,000 points to the Race, which puts him at the top with a remarkable 5,740 points, thanks to three other titles this season: a Masters 1000 and an ATP 500.

He holds a significant lead over Sinner, with almost 1,800 points. The Italian missed three months of competition, but is still in second place, with only three tournaments played: a title at the Australian Open and finals at Rome and Roland Garros.

Between third and sixth place, there are small differences, and though still far from Sinner, they are in a good position to qualify. Alexander Zverev leads the second group with 2,935 points – more than 1,000 points behind second place. He reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals, adding 400 points. Although it caused him to drop in the regular rankings, it was a good number of points for the Race – which only counts points in 2025 – and he remains in a comfortable third place.

Next is Jack Draper, champion at Indian Wells, who was surprised in the fourth round of the French Open by Alexander Bublik. The Brit, however, concludes a good clay-court swing, also reaching the final in Madrid and the quarterfinals in Rome. Just behind is Lorenzo Musetti (2,600), who reached at least the semifinals in three clay-court Masters 1000s, in addition to Roland Garros.

Sixth place belongs to Novak Djokovic, who, despite not having had enough regularity on Tour, his semifinals at the Australian Open and French Open – in addition to the Miami Open final – give him a spot in the qualification zone. His title at the Geneva Open adds to the tournaments that have allowed him to stay at the top.

Currently, Casper Ruud (2,075) and Tommy Paul (1,900) would potentially be entering the ATP Finals. With more than 500 points separating them from Djokovic, they still seem far from being comfortable. For both, their performance at Wimbledon in three weeks will be key, as an early exit could drop them several places – just as a deep run would give them comfort for the latter part of the year.

There are several candidates to enter, with five players tightly packed in the race. Australian Alex De Minaur (1,835), Holger Rune (1,730), and Ben Shelton (1,710) are the best positioned, and a good run at Wimbledon would put them in a potential qualification zone. Further back are 2024 Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik – who is still looking to find consistency on Tour – and Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, who has been very consistent this season, with a 27-13 record, including semifinal appearances in Rome and quarterfinals in Indian Wells and Miami Open among his best performances.