Jannik Sinner's Vienna withdrawal shifts dynamics of ATP race to finish number one

Italy’s tennis star Jannik Sinner’s decision to withdraw from the Vienna Open has given an interesting look at the race to finish number one in the ATP rankings. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has recently revealed that he will participate in just four events in the remainder of the 2024 season, which does not include the Vienna Open. After his decision to skip the ATP event in Vienna, the race to finish at the top of the rankings is likely to be intensified with Spain’s Alcaraz.

As things stand, the Italian tennis star has a comfortable lead of more than 4,000 rating points at the top of the ATP rankings to second-placed Germany’s Alexander Zverev. That lead is set to decrease as the San Candido-born star is going to lose at least 2,000 points in the coming months, which he earned after having an incredible run late last year. That will bring Zverev and Alcaraz into the mix. The Spaniard will be, in particular, given a chance to overcome the Italians, but for that, he has to produce some consistent performances in the coming months.

Sinner has had an incredible 2024, where he won two Grand Slam titles. His first major triumph came in January when he lifted the Australian Open after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3. He then went on to lift the US Open after beating America’s Taylor Fritz in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. In between that, Sinner also played in the semifinal of the French Open where he lost to Alcaraz in an epic five-set thriller with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. He became the world number one during Roland Garros when Djokovic was forced to withdraw just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud.