Jannik Sinner leads alternative men's rankings despite Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open win

Jannik Sinner leads the alternative UTR ranking following Carlos Alcaraz's title win at the US Open. The top tier also includes Novak Djokovic, who completes the podium after his semifinal run, while Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, and Taylor Fritz are further down the list.

Unlike the ATP rankings, which rely on tournament points, the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) assesses a player's current form based on performance consistency. It operates on a 16.5-point scale, factoring in the last 30 matches played over the past year. Rather than focusing solely on results, the system evaluates match competitiveness and gives more weight to wins against higher-ranked players.

Sinner lost his world No. 1 ATP ranking after an uninterrupted 64 weeks at the top of the official ranking. However, his inability to defend his US Open title, losing the final to his rival Carlos Alcaraz, ultimately returned the Spaniard to the top. The alternative ranking, however, still keeps Sinner as No. 1.

The difference is mainly due to Sinner spending several months out of competition, which gave him less match rhythm and fewer opportunities to win titles than his rival. However, he has an impeccable 37-5 record, with four of his losses coming against Alcaraz (in addition to one against Alexander Bublik).

The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic climbs to third place. He reached the semifinals in all four Grand Slams he played this season, retiring injured in Australia, losing to Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and then losing to Alcaraz at the US Open. The Serbian has been unbeatable against other players in the majors, with 19 wins in his last 22 appearances since he won the Geneva Open title.

In fourth place, the presence of Jack Draper is a surprise. The Brit, who has been hampered by injuries, has lost rhythm in recent weeks, with a second-round loss at Wimbledon and a retirement before his second-round match at the US Open. He has ended his season but remains in the top 4 of the UTR Ranking.

Fifth and sixth place is a tie in the UTR Ranking between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz. The Italian had an impeccable clay-court swing, but injuries have also complicated things for him in recent months. He had a great campaign at the US Open, falling in the quarterfinals to Jannik Sinner. The same fate befell Fritz, who ran into Djokovic in the quarterfinals and was eliminated from the US Open by one of the highest-ranked players in the UTR.

Alexander Zverev, the current world No. 3 in the ATP ranking, only appears in seventh place. He was eliminated in the third round of the US Open and had also bowed out early at Wimbledon, where he was eliminated in the first round. The German will look to rebound in the final part of the season, with Beijing and Shanghai as his main goals if he wants to maintain his position in the ATP Ranking.

There is another surprise in the top 8: the Czech Jirí Lehecka, currently ranked No. 16 in the ATP Ranking. He had a great campaign at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals, where he was eliminated by the eventual champion Alcaraz.

The top 10 is rounded out by the American Ben Shelton and the Kazakh Alexander Bublik. The latter is another surprise, considering his ATP ranking is only No. 19. However, with three consecutive ATP 250 titles, he can boast of being one of the players in the best form in recent months.