Jannik
Sinner has a good chance of becoming world No. 1 after the
French Open,
following
Novak Djokovic's early exit at the
Rome Open. The Serbian has had a
tough 2024, and his rough patch deepened after the surprising loss to Chilean
Alejandro Tabilo in the third round at Foro Italico.
Sinner
hasn't had the optimal preparation for
Roland Garros during the clay swing. He
had a good showing at the Monte-Carlo Masters but fell in the semifinals to
eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in a controversial match marked by a
refereeing error in the third set. Then, at the Madrid Open, he reached the
quarterfinals but withdrew due to a hip injury, which also prevented him from
playing in Rome these past weeks.
Djokovic
lends a hand to Sinner
Sinner's dominance in 2024 has him with a record of
28-2, three titles including his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and
as the absolute leader in the ATP Race. He also reached world No. 2 several
weeks ago for the first time in his career. Since the Italian defeated Djokovic
in the Australian Open semifinals, the Serbian has a poor record of 5-3 and has
barely accumulated points since then.
Sinner could be No. 1 at the end of the French Open even without competing in the tournament.
the
next ranking update, once the Rome Open is over, Djokovic will remain as No. 1
with 9,860 points, and Sinner as No. 2 with 8,770 points. Neither of them will
play anything until Roland Garros, although Sinner has not yet confirmed his
participation in the second Grand Slam of the year.
With
the defense of his French Open title in a few weeks, Djokovic has 2,000 points
to defend, while Sinner only defends 45 points from the second round last year.
If Sinner doesn't play in Paris, Djokovic will have the obligation to at least
reach the final to remain as No. 1.
Points
secured at the end of the French Open
Novak Djokovic:
7,860