ATP Rankings Update: Jannik Sinner still top before US Open, but Carlos Alcaraz closes in after Cincinnati Open

Another week in tennis sees the ATP Rankings update after the final major event at the Cincinnati Open, before all competitors head to the US Open. Looking at the standings, Jannik Sinner still remains in the top spot with 11,480 points, but Carlos Alcaraz's triumph in Cincinnati has allowed him to close the gap and make it a contentious battle before the final major of the year.

The Italian star dropped 550 points after failing to defend last year’s title in a retirement in the final to the Spaniard, though he still managed to retain the number 1 ranking. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz gained the full 1000 points whilst claiming his maiden Cincinnati Open title which allows him to sit at 9590 points in the standings. His victory here will be a satisfying one seeing as he did lose a tough final here two years ago to Novak Djokovic.

This tournament has provided a fascinating outlook ahead of the US Open, as Carlos Alcaraz now has a chance to claim the number 1 ranking at the American Grand Slam. The El Palmar-born player experienced a shock second-round exit to Botic Van de Zandschulp, meaning Alcaraz only has 50 points to defend this year. Contrastingly, Sinner won the US Open last year, meaning an early exit from the Italian, or a deep run by the Spaniard, may lead to a change in the ATP Rankings for that number 1 spot.

From third to fifth, the rankings remain unchanged seeing that Alexander Zverev remains 3,360 points behind second meaning that even if the German won the US Open, he would still most probably be third in the rankings. American number 1 Taylor Fritz is in fourth with 5575 points followed by Jack Draper who has skipped the US Open preparation tournaments due to injury but still has 4,440 points.

Looking at the rest of the top 10, there was only one new entrant before we begin in New York as Karen Khachanov moved up three places from 12th to fill that number 9 spot with 3240 points. The rest of the rankings remain unchanged and are as follows: Ben Shelton (sixth with 4280 points), Novak Djokovic (seventh with 4130 points), Alex De Minaur (eighth with 3545 points), previously aforementioned Karen Khachanov (ninth with 3240 points) and Lorenzo Musetti (tenth with 3205 points).

In the overall rankings, French qualifier-turned-Cincinnati Open semifinalist Terence Atmane made the biggest leap in the ATP standings. The Frenchman achieving his first ATP 1000 semifinal allowed him to experience a 67 place jump up the rankings taking him to a career high of 69.

Fellow Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi also saw a healthy rankings jump since he managed a fourth-round finish at the Cincinnati Open before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 3-6. Bonzi, who was originally number 63 in the world, hopped up 12 places and is now at 51 in the rankings.

Another player who saw a big gain in the standings was Francisco Comesana, who also achieved a fourth-round berth in Cincinnati before losing to Andrey Rublev 2-6, 3-6. The Argentinian managed to achieve a 17-spot leap in the rankings, going from 71st in the world to a career high of 54th in the world.

While some players experienced a good week in Ohio, some had too many points to defend and unfortunately, fell down the rankings. A big drop in the rankings this week was Alexei Popyrin who was unable to defend his Canadian Open title from last year, losing to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and then falling in the round of 32 to Andrey Rublev in a marathon 3 setter which ended 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 to the Russian. The Australian lost 960 points, resulting in a 18-place ranking drop, where he is now 36th in the world.

One other player who saw a big rankings drop was Polish star Hubert Hurkacz, who used to be a persistent top 20 and even top 10 tennis player. However, it seems that injury has begun to plague the former world number 6, who has been out since June, to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Pole has dropped down 27 places to number 67, with it looking likely he will drop out of the top 100 if he is unable to return for the US Open and Asian swing.

Now with the tour shifting to Flushing Meadows, the stage is set for one of the most high-stakes US Opens in recent memory. With Jannik Sinner’s hold on the world number 1 ranking under serious threat from Carlos Alcaraz, every match could prove decisive in shaping the top of the ATP standings. All eyes now turn to New York, where the season’s final Grand Slam will not only crown a champion but could also redefine the landscape of men’s tennis heading into the closing months of 2025.