ATP Race Update: Sinner abolishes the gap to Alcaraz at the top, Djokovic tumbles after Miami no-show as Fils and Lehecka notable movers

Another Masters 1000 tournament has come and gone, and it could become pivotal in deciding the final eight players who will compete in the ATP Finals from November 15-22, with the ATP Race to Turin heating up in these early stages of the year.

The top eight players who collect the most points throughout the calendar year will have the golden opportunity to compete for another huge title in the form of the ATP Finals in Turin. These Masters 1000 tournaments offer a huge number of points and will be key for a lot of players in their ambition to feature in Italy at the end of the year.

Carlos Alcaraz stays top - but only just. His blistering start to the year, which involved him winning the Australian Open, was slowed right down to a snail's pace after losing in the third round of the Miami Open. He will be hoping that this is just a slight hiccup that he will be able to overcome quickly with the clay swing fast approaching.

The gap between him and Jannik Sinner has shrunk a seismic amount in a short space of time. Another 1000 points collected by the Italian after taking glory in Florida sees him close to just 50 points behind his Spanish rival. Not that it matters whether you finish first or second, but both players will want to have that slight edge over their fierce competitor heading into the showpiece event at the end of the year.

Daniil Medvedev remains in third. Similar to Alcaraz, he slipped up early in Miami and was unable to bounce back from the final defeat at Indian Wells. However, his positive start to the year has seen him sit in a relatively comfortable position with a return to the ATP Finals currently on the cards.

Novak Djokovic has not competed in the tournament since 2023 despite qualifying for the prior two competitions. He is playing a lot less regularly than he once was but still finds himself in fifth. A withdrawal from the Miami Open diminished the chance to get more points on the board, and an opportunistic Alexander Zverev clambered above the Serbian into fourth after a second consecutive semi-final appearance in the Sunshine swing.

Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton stay put in sixth and seventh after a huge opportunity to gain some points on the board in North America was wasted with some early exits.

Someone who did not waste a chance to impress was Arthur Fils. Despite not competing in the first month of the season and missing the Australian Open, the Frenchman has gone deep in a number of tournaments. A first Masters 1000 semi-final has done wonders for his chances to feature in the ATP Finals. He will need to keep this form up throughout the year if he is set to cement his name among the best players in the world.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is pushed out of the top eight into ninth while the Miami Open finalist Jiri Lehecka rockets up the order into 10th. The Czech defeated Fils at the semi-final stage to reach his biggest final to date but was no match for a rampant Sinner. He leaps above the 2025 champion and fellow countryman Jakub Mensik who falls out of the top 10.

Players who featured in the finals last year are in a spot of bother currently. The 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz seems to be struggling with injury concerns and a poor Sunshine swing culminated by a last-16 exit in the Miami Open keeps him in 15th while a hefty period on the sidelines has limited the progress of Lorenzo Musetti who can be found down in 25th. However, there is still a long way to go until November and a whole heap of tournaments scattered throughout the year for the players to compete at.

(as per livetennis.eu)