Novak Djokovic opens door to chasing pack as Carlos Alcaraz leads race to World Number One after maintaining World No.2 spot

Carlos Alcaraz's victory in the Indian Wells semifinals over Jannik Sinner allows him to defend his world No. 2 ranking and not be too far behind Novak Djokovic, who is currently the leader of the rankings.

Until a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that the Serbian was at too great a distance for anyone to counteract it for a long time, especially after returning to the Sunshine Double after 5 years without defending points, unlike his main pursuers.

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However, the surprising defeat of the 24-time Grand Slam champion against Luca Nardi in the third round of the tournament barely earned him 45 points. He then announced that he would not be participating in the Miami Open, losing another opportunity to earn points, which opens the door for Alcaraz to contend for the No. 1 spot at the start of the clay season.

For now, Djokovic has secured the No. 1 spot until April 15, when the first Masters 1000 on clay begins. However, if Alcaraz were to emerge from the Sunshine Double with titles in Indian Wells and Miami, he would close the gap to less than 300 points, making the No. 1 ranking up for grabs at Monte Carlo.

For now, Sinner and Medvedev, finalists in Miami last year, remain further behind Djokovic, and regardless of how they finish after the Miami Open, they will not be able to dream of the No. 1 spot, at least until the clay season progresses.

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Live Ranking before Indian Wells final

Principio del formulario

1. Novak Djokovic 9.725 puntos

2. Carlos Alcaraz 8.455

3. Jannik Sinner 8.310

4. Daniil Medvedev 7.765

Five weeks projection

1. Novak Djokovic 9.635 puntos

2. Carlos Alcaraz 8.095

3. Jannik Sinner 7,350

4. Daniil Medvedev 6,585