Djokovic-Alcaraz Cincinnati Final Causes Seismic Shift In Battle For No. 1

Carlos Alcaraz leaves Cincinnati as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. But when Novak Djokovic defeated the Spaniard in an unforgettable Western & Southern Open final on Sunday, the Serbian put himself in prime position to reclaim World No. 1 at the US Open.

According to the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Alcaraz now leads Djokovic by only 20 points. Because the 20-year-old will be defending 2,000 points at the season’s final major compared to none for Djokovic, who did not play the event last year, the 36-year-old is the overwhelming favourite to leave Flushing Meadows in the top spot.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings

All the Serbian needs to do in New York to guarantee his return to World No. 1 is win his first-round match, putting a return to top spot completely in his hands during the coming fortnight.

The reason Djokovic has such a big opportunity is because he managed to rally from a set and a break down against Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final. The result caused a seismic shift in the battle for World No. 1, tilting 800 points in the 39-time ATP Masters 1000 champion’s favour. 

If Alcaraz converted his championship point in the second-set tie-break, he would have departed the Lindner Family Tennis Centre with a 820-point advantage in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Instead, he is on the verge of losing his position.

Had Alcaraz won the final, Djokovic would have needed to reach the US Open final to be guaranteed of a return to World No. 1. Instead, he just needs to avoid a first-round upset. The Serbian has not lost in the first round of a major since the 2006 Australian Open.

Djokovic’s victory set the stage for an epic battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honours over the final three months of the season. In the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, which is a barometre for the year-end No. 1 battle, Alcaraz leads Djokovic by 510 points. 

The reason Alcaraz has a longterm advantage is that he did not compete in last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, while Djokovic swept his way to the title and 1,500 points. But with up to 2,000 points up for grabs at Flushing Meadows, there is plenty of room for movement.

Djokovic might not return to World No. 1 Monday, but he did make the ongoing battle for the top of the men’s tennis mountain even more interesting.