ATP Ranking Update: Alcaraz and Sinner unmovable at the top; Shelton becomes American No. 1 as Fonseca slips

Monday, 05 January 2026 at 20:30

The 2026 ATP Tour season has officially begun with the Australian swing, featuring several warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open. The rankings saw minor updates this Monday after the opening week, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner maintaining their commanding grip on the top two spots. Both continue to hold a massive lead over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, with more than double the points of the German.

The biggest movement inside the top tier came from Taylor Fritz, who dropped three positions to world No. 9 — his lowest ranking in the past 17 months. As a result, several players moved up one spot: Alex de Minaur (No. 6), Lorenzo Musetti (No. 7), and Ben Shelton (No. 8) all moved ahead of Fritz, although the point gaps remain very tight.

With this shift, Shelton once again becomes the American No. 1, reclaiming the position he first achieved in April 2024.

While a single ranking position may not seem significant, the No. 8 spot is particularly valuable heading into the Australian Open. Being seeded inside the top eight allows Shelton to avoid higher-ranked opponents until at least the quarter-finals, steering clear of potential clashes with Alcaraz, Sinner, or Novak Djokovic until that stage. On the other hand, Fritz now faces a potentially tougher draw, as he could meet a top-ranked opponent as early as the round of 16.

Headline-worthy change lower down the rankings

Further down the rankings, there was a change at the top of Czech tennis, as 2025 Miami Open champion Jakub Menšík became the new Czech No. 1. He moved up one position to No. 18, overtaking Jiří Lehečka, who slipped to No. 19.

One of the more notable drops came from Brazilian teenager João Fonseca, who fell five places in the rankings. Fonseca had been the defending champion at the Canberra Challenger, but after breaking into the elite level, he did not enter the tournament this year and lost 125 points. Players such as Learner Tien and Cameron Norrie were among those who benefited from the young star’s slip.

Other significant changes include Reilly Opelka dropping eight places to No. 60, Alexandre Müller falling nine spots to No. 52, and Grigor Dimitrov continuing his slide in the rankings, losing three positions to sit at No. 47.

ATP Ranking Update

Rank	Player	Points
1	Carlos Alcaraz	12,050
2	Jannik Sinner	11,500
3	Alexander Zverev	5,105
4	Novak Djokovic	4,780
5	Félix Auger-Aliassime	4,190
6	Alex de Minaur	4,080
7	Lorenzo Musetti	3,990
8	Ben Shelton	3,960
9	Taylor Fritz	3,840
10	Jack Draper	2,990
11	Alexander Bublik	2,845
12	Casper Ruud	2,750
13	Daniil Medvedev	2,710
14	Alejandro Davidovich Fokina	2,585
15	Holger Rune	2,580
16	Andrey Rublev	2,510
17	Karen Khachanov	2,320
18	Jakub Menšík	2,130
19	Jiří Lehečka	2,075
20	Tommy Paul	2,050
21	Francisco Cerúndolo	2,035
22	Flavio Cobolli	1,955
23	Denis Shapovalov	1,665
24	Luciano Darderi	1,579
25	Tallon Griekspoor	1,565
26	Learner Tien	1,540
27	Arthur Rinderknech	1,527
28	Cameron Norrie	1,523
29	João Fonseca	1,510
30	Frances Tiafoe	1,485
31	Valentin Vacherot	1,469
32	Corentin Moutet	1,383
33	Brandon Nakashima	1,380
34	Stefanos Tsitsipas	1,380
35	Tomáš Macháč	1,360
36	Ugo Humbert	1,355
37	Alex Michelsen	1,300
38	Jaume Munar	1,295
39	Lorenzo Sonego	1,240
40	Gabriel Diallo	1,215
41	Arthur Fils	1,210
42	Zizou Bergs	1,193
43	Sebastián Báez	1,145
44	Daniel Altmaier	1,123
45	Nuno Borges	1,120
46	Sebastian Korda	1,090
47	Grigor Dimitrov	1,080
48	Camilo Ugo Carabelli	1,028
49	Jenson Brooksby	1,017
50	Alexei Popyrin	1,000
51	Miomir Kecmanović	1,000
52	Alexandre Müller	980
53	Fábián Marozsán	975
54	Márton Fucsovics	949
55	Matteo Berrettini	945
56	Valentin Royer	924
57	Tomás Martín Etcheverry	895
58	Aleksandar Kovačević	877
59	Kamil Majchrzak	861
60	Reilly Opelka	861
61	Matteo Arnaldi	858
62	Térence Atmane	855
63	Arthur Cazaux	848
64	Marcos Giron	845
65	Damir Džumhur	837
66	Francisco Comesaña	829
67	Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard	825
68	Adrian Mannarino	817
69	Gaël Monfils	800
70	Marin Čilić	765
71	Jesper de Jong	763
72	Mariano Navone	760
73	Mattia Bellucci	758
74	Jacob Fearnley	752
75	Botic van de Zandschulp	746
76	Ethan Quinn	733
77	Adam Walton	732
78	Cristian Garín	726
79	Filip Misolic	724
80	Hamad Medjedović	718
81	Alejandro Tabilo	717
82	Jan-Lennard Struff	711
83	Hubert Hurkacz	710
84	Raphaël Collignon	704
85	Juan Manuel Cerúndolo	700
86	James Duckworth	694
87	Aleksandar Vukic	693
88	Emilio Nava	677
89	Eliot Spizzirri	672
90	Roberto Bautista Agut	670
91	Quentin Halys	669
92	Pablo Carreño Busta	656
93	Dalibor Svrčina	655
94	Hugo Gaston	653
95	Laslo Djere	652
96	Pedro Martínez	643
97	Tristan Schoolkate	641
98	Carlos Taberner	630
99	Benjamin Bonzi	629
100	Ignacio Buse	627

Read also

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

United Cup: Maria Sakkari gets revenge on Emma Raducanu and Greece knock Great Britain

(VIDEO) A bizarre gesture at the net caps Reilly Opelka’s win in Brisbane