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.