From No. 540 to No. 15: The 10 biggest ATP ranking changes of the year
ATPWednesday, 12 August 2026 at 18:00
A year can completely transform an ATP career. Injuries, breakthrough runs, title-winning streaks, and dramatic ranking collapses have reshaped the men’s tour over the last 12 months, creating a very different landscape from the one that existed at this stage of the 2025 season.
Few stories illustrate that volatility better than Jack Draper, who has fallen from the top five to outside the top 100 after a long injury absence, while Holger Rune has also seen his ranking tumble dramatically following months away from competition. Their declines highlight how quickly momentum can disappear at the highest level.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Felix Auger-Aliassime has climbed back into the elite after rediscovering his best tennis, and Rafael Jodar has produced one of the most spectacular rises on the tour, surging from outside the top 500 to the edge of the top 10 conversation in just one year.
These are the 10 ATP players whose rankings and careers have changed the most over the last 12 months, for better and for worse, from established stars battling injuries to emerging talents who have forced their way into the sport’s biggest stages ahead of the US Open.
The biggest ranking changes of the year
| Player | Ranking 12 months ago | Current ranking | Change |
| Rafael Jodar | No. 540 | No. 15 | ▲ 525 |
| Valentin Vacherot | No. 246 | No. 18 | ▲ 228 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | No. 28 | No. 4 | ▲ 24 |
| Ignacio Buse | No. 140 | No. 33 | ▲ 107 |
| Alexander Bublik | No. 27 | No. 11 | ▲ 16 |
| Jack Draper | No. 5 | No. 143 | ▼ 138 |
| Holger Rune | No. 9 | No. 99 | ▼ 90 |
| Grigor Dimitrov | No. 21 | No. 137 | ▼ 116 |
| Alexei Popyrin | No. 19 | No. 139 | ▼ 120 |
| Tomas Machac | No. 24 | No. 58 | ▼ 34 |
Those who fell
Jack Draper’s dramatic collapse from the top five - No. 5 to No. 143
Perhaps the most emblematic collapse on this list, considering that he spent much of 2025 established in the top five before suffering a dramatic fall in the rankings after months of absence. Injuries became part of Draper’s career again after a year in which he had found considerable consistency and good physical form. However, things changed after his run at Wimbledon 2025, and he played only one tournament for the remainder of the season, finishing the year as No. 10.
However, the major drop in his ranking came this 2026, when he was unable to defend a large number of points from his excellent results at the beginning of last season. His title at Indian Wells, the final at the Madrid Open, and fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and Roland Garros stand out among his strong results from 2025, which he was unable to defend in 2026 due to injury, explaining the British star’s fall to outside the top 100.
Jack Draper reached his highest ranking as world No. 4, after his title in Indian Wells in 2025.
Holger Rune’s injury nightmare sends him to the brink of the top 100 - No. 9 to No. 99
Another player who went from the top 10 to a dramatic collapse, finding himself this week at just No. 99 in the ATP rankings. The Dane was in the middle of the battle for a place at the ATP Finals a year ago, which came to an end after an injury at the Stockholm Open forced him to undergo surgery and a long recovery period.
Rune has not appeared on court since October 2025, a total of nine months so far, and there is still absolutely no clarity regarding the date of his return. The former Paris Masters champion, now 23 years old, could return soon at the US Open, or alternatively during the Asian swing. The goal will be to accumulate victories and confidence, especially physically, allowing him to recover positions in the rankings and at least qualify directly for the Australian Open at the beginning of 2027, without being forced to play qualifying at major tournaments next year.
Holger Rune is expected to return to court in the coming weeks, but an official date has not yet been confirmed.
The Czech was one of the names that emerged strongly between 2024 and 2025, reaching the top 20 after winning his first title at Acapulco 2025. He began 2026 in good form by winning another title at the Adelaide International, but since then he has failed to produce standout performances and has lost momentum at the major tournaments.
His run to the fourth round of the US Open a year ago has perhaps been his most significant result of the last 52 weeks, during which he has not advanced beyond the third round of a Masters 1000, has not reached another final, and has seen his ranking fall week after week. Now outside the top 50, the Czech has lost prominence.
Grigor Dimitrov’s comeback remains a work in progress - No. 21 to No. 137
Another name whose ranking has been devastated by injuries, as a year ago he remained close to the top 20 despite already having almost two months of absence. The Bulgarian suffered a memorable injury in the fourth round of Wimbledon 2025 when he was leading Jannik Sinner by two sets. The pectoral injury kept him out for practically the rest of the season, and his pursuit of the top 10 ended because of the injury.
The 35-year-old returned in 2026 seeking to regain competitive rhythm. Although it took him several weeks to get back into the rhythm of competition, and he suffered several surprising defeats, the former world No. 3 has once again shown that he can be competitive. He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year and collected several wins during the grass swing that allowed him to climb positions in the rankings.
Dimitrov is still fighting to return to the top 100, although the level he showed at the All England Club demonstrates that he still has the level to be much higher in the rankings.
Alexei Popyrin’s slide continues after his Canadian Open title - No. 19 to No. 139
The Australian has been playing at a low level for some time, something that was already expected a year ago. At this stage of the season, he was unable to defend his Canadian Open title and suffered a sharp fall from the top 20 to just No. 37. The rest of the season followed the same pattern, losing points and dropping outside the top 50 by the end of the year.
Things have not improved in 2026, with Popyrin recording only 11 wins and 20 losses. He even suffered six consecutive defeats, including at Challenger tournaments, extending a negative streak that has only improved this week thanks to a couple of wins at the Canadian Open that have allowed him to soften the loss of positions, although he still remains well outside the top 100. At 27 years old, Popyrin seems far from the level that allowed him to win an unexpected Masters 1000 title in 2024 and eliminate Novak Djokovic at the US Open.
Those who rose
Felix Auger-Aliassime’s resurgence brings him back into the elite - No. 28 to No. 4
The Canadian went through a crisis that lasted nearly a year, losing ranking positions and falling outside the top 10. However, Auger-Aliassime began to rediscover himself on hard courts during the second half of the season, especially indoors, which allowed him to become one of the most consistent players on the Tour by the end of 2025.
He made a rapid rise in the rankings after an unexpected run to the semifinals of the US Open. That gave him the confidence to reach the final of the Paris Masters in the following weeks and qualify for the ATP Finals, posting a 21-6 record from the start of the US Open through the end of the year.
Those results returned him to the top 10, and at the start of the season, thanks to a couple of victories in Turin, he moved back into the top five. This year he has alternated strong performances with surprising defeats, but his favorite part of the season is still ahead of him. He will have a huge number of points to defend, so he risks falling in the rankings over the coming weeks, even outside the top 10 if he fails to produce deep runs at the remaining major tournaments.
Felix Auger-Aliassime reached his best ranking as world No. 4 earlier this season.
Alexander Bublik turns consistency into a top-10 breakthrough - No. 27 to No. 11
Another player who made a rapid rise, although by August 2025 he had already been producing good results for several months. Bublik had fallen outside the top 100 before rediscovering his game, and a year ago he was in full ascent, improving his results and becoming one of the best players of the season, winning four titles and reaching the top 10 for the first time in his career.
In 2026 things have been relatively positive for Bublik, although not at the level of a year ago. He has been consistent in advancing through rounds at tournaments and has remained close to the top 10, though without major standout results.
He still has two titles to defend over the next few months, as well as a run to the semifinals of the Paris Masters, which will put him under pressure if he wants to remain among the top players in the rankings.
Bublik reached his first Masters 1000 semis at Paris Masters 2025.
Valentin Vacherot transforms from unknown qualifier to top-20 force
One of the most emblematic cases in these rankings, considering that a year ago he was still largely unknown, with only a few ATP-level appearances and sitting outside the top 200. The Monegasque was competing on the Challenger circuit without major results until he received his unexpected opportunity at the Shanghai Masters 2025, where he lifted the title after coming through qualifying and defeating players such as Bublik, Rune, and Djokovic along the way.
Since then, Vacherot has shown a remarkable adaptation to the highest level and has become a consistent performer on the biggest stages. His run to the semifinals of Monte Carlo proved that Shanghai was not a fluke.
Although injuries in between have complicated things for him, he has earned his place in the top 20 and has established himself as a player of real quality. He still has a few weeks before defending the 1,000 points from Shanghai, but even if he loses them he will remain high in the rankings after building momentum throughout the season.
Valentin Vacherot won his first Masters 1000 title when he was outside the top 200.
Rafael Jodar completes one of the fastest rises in recent ATP history - No. 540 to No. 15
The biggest rise of the last year and perhaps one of the greatest in history so far. The Spaniard was beginning his ascent a year ago, winning the Challenger title in Hersonissos exactly 52 weeks ago. He entered the top 400 quickly and, during the remainder of the season, through a series of victories and another couple of Challenger titles, managed to establish himself inside the top 200 and qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals.
In 2026 his rise has been even faster than expected, winning a Challenger title at the very start of the season to climb into the top 150. Among his achievements this year are his title in Marrakech, the semifinals in Barcelona, and consecutive quarterfinal appearances in Madrid, Rome, and the French Open, earning the attention of the tennis world.
Jodar recently reached his first ATP 500 final at the DC Open, once again showing just how abrupt his rise has been, climbing into the top 15 in only a few months while the possibility of breaking into the top 10 becomes increasingly realistic. He has already reached the quarterfinals in Montreal and has guaranteed that he will leave the tournament as at least No. 13, although he can still go further as he awaits his clash against Arthur Fils in search of the semifinals.
Rafael Jodar at Roland Garros 2026
Ignacio Buse becomes Peru’s newest ATP breakthrough star - No. 140 to No. 33
The young Peruvian has become one of the revelations of the Tour in just a few months. At 22 years old he has already reached the top 30 and won his first ATP 500 title at the Hamburg Open in a surprising run on clay courts after coming through qualifying. The South American made his debut at major tournaments this year after spending the first part of his career competing mainly on the Challenger circuit.
He is still in the process of adapting to the biggest stages and has alternated positive results with surprising defeats. Since that title in Hamburg back in May, he has recorded only five wins and six losses, although he has no points to defend for the remainder of the season, giving him a chance over the next few months to string together victories again and establish himself as a genuine contender to remain in the top 30, or even go deeper.
The ATP rankings can change remarkably quickly, and the last 12 months have provided a perfect illustration. Draper and Rune show how injuries can erase years of progress in a matter of months, while Jodar, Vacherot and Buse demonstrate how quickly the next generation can emerge. With the US Open and final stretch of the season still to come, several of these rankings could look very different again before the year is over.
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.
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