ATP Ranking Update: Mensik and Machac climb the rankings as Shelton overtakes Auger-Aliassime

After the first weeks of competition on the ATP Tour – and alongside the start of the Australian Open – there were some movements in the rankings, particularly following a notable week for the Czech representatives, with Jakub Mensik crowned champion in Auckland and Tomas Machac in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, within the top 10, Ben Shelton was one of the beneficiaries of competing in Auckland – unlike several of his peers who took the week off before the Australian Open. The American suffered an early loss but earned enough points to climb one position to No. 7, moving ahead of Félix Auger-Aliassime.

Others who enjoyed significant rises were the runners-up of the week: Sebastián Báez – coming off a strong start to the year with eight wins in nine matches – and France’s Ugo Humbert, who climbed several positions in the rankings, with both now positioned close to the top 30.

The ranking continues to be comfortably led by Carlos Alcaraz (12,050), ahead of Jannik Sinner (11,500). While the Spaniard is defending 800 points from reaching the semifinals at last year’s Australian Open, Sinner has no chance to move forward as he cannot add points. Even if the Italian wins the title, it would not be enough to catch Alcaraz – who could even extend the gap if he reaches the final, and even more so if he lifts the trophy in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, the top five also saw no changes, although things could shift during the Australian Open. Zverev (5,105) remains in third place, just over 300 points behind Novak Djokovic (4,780). The German is defending the final he reached in 2025, while Djokovic is defending semifinals. Zverev needs to advance at least one round further than Nole in this tournament or he will drop one position, allowing the Serb to return to the ATP podium.

Within the top 10, the only movement was Ben Shelton moving up one position to No. 7 – after reaching the quarterfinals in Auckland – pushing Félix Auger-Aliassime down, as the Canadian took the week off ahead of the Australian Open.

The American suffered a surprising second-round loss to Sebastián Báez in straight sets – raising some concerns ahead of the Aussie Open – although it was enough to collect the 45 points that moved him up one spot. On the other hand, Auger-Aliassime’s injury is beginning to complicate his ranking situation, preventing him from regaining positions in the early part of the year after retiring mid-match in the first round against Nuno Borges. He risks dropping another position if Taylor Fritz manages to advance a couple of rounds, although only a disaster would push him out of the top 10.

The rest of the top 10 remains unchanged; Lorenzo Musetti (4,105) holds fifth place, with Alex de Minaur (4,080) close behind. Further down are Shelton (4,000), Auger-Aliassime (3,990) and Taylor Fritz (3,840) – in a very tight battle that could see changes in the coming weeks. Far behind sits No. 10 Alexander Bublik (3,065), who would only be able to climb positions if he reaches the final of the tournament.

An epic week for the Czech players during the Aussie Swing, capturing the titles in the week preceding the first major of the year. Jakub Mensik defeated rivals such as Hamad Medjedovic and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to claim the second title of his career. In the Auckland final, he beat Sebastián Báez in straight sets and begins to signal that 2026 could be a breakout season among the elite. Mensik moved up one position to No. 17 and is now just a couple of wins away from reaching the top 15 for the first time in his career.

His compatriot Tomas Machac was also crowned champion in Adelaide International, overcoming players such as Jaume Munar and Tommy Paul on his path to the final. The eighth seed edged Ugo Humbert in a tight three-set final and achieved a significant ranking jump of 11 positions to No. 24. Machac was the player who gained the most positions of the week within the top 100.

Humbert climbed three positions to No. 33, while Sebastián Báez also rose three spots to No. 36. Both players now sit close to seeded positions in future tournaments with larger draws – such as Indian Wells and the Miami Open – where finishing inside the top 32 grants a first-round bye and the chance to avoid higher-ranked opponents in the opening round, undoubtedly a goal they will pursue in the coming weeks.