What Carlos Alcaraz must do to reclaim World No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner?

Winning Wimbledon alone would not help Carlos Alcaraz reclaim the World No. 1 spot.

Jannik Sinner has remained at the top of the ATP rankings for more than 50 consecutive weeks now. However, Sinner is yet to beat World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. In 2025 alone, the Spaniard prevented the Italian from clinching his maiden Italian Open and French Open title.

Alcaraz has already won four titles this year, including the Rotterdam and Queens Championships, both ATP-500 events, as well as the Italian Open and French Open.

Despite these triumphs, Alcaraz trails Sinner by more than 1,000 points. The Italian is ranked No. 1 with 10430 points, while Alcaraz has 9300. Sinner’s ability to maintain his top position is remarkable, considering he spent three months away from tennis action due to a suspension for doping negligence.

Alcaraz’s performances have established him as the best player on tour. While he may not be as consistent in terms of results across different surfaces and tours compared to Sinner, he is certainly one of the few players who has won on every surface and can beat any top-ranked player.

So, what must the five-time Grand Slam champion do to be crowned the World No. 1 ranking again?

Win Wimbledon

Alcaraz is the reigning champion at SW19 and will defend 2,000 points. However, the Spaniard successfully managed to achieve this feat at the French Open 2025 and will hope to retain his crown at Wimbledon again.

Sinner lost in the quarter-finals last year and is likely to make the semi-finals or even the finals, and hence, he might further climb up the ladder, even if the Italian eventually fails to win the title.

In an unlikely scenario where Alcaraz triumphs and Sinner suffers an early defeat, Alcaraz could reduce the gap in points. However, the chances of this happening are slim. In the worst-case scenario, Sinner loses his third round to Pedro Martínez Portero, as a result of which he would lose 300 points.

In the best-case scenario for Alcaraz, if he wins Wimbledon for a third straight time, and remains at 9300 points, while Sinner falls from 10430-300 to 10130 (should he be beaten in the third round). Hence, Alcaraz simply cannot overtake Sinner for the World No. 1 position post the conclusion of Wimbledon 2025.

With top-ranked players falling, the Spaniard’s route to glory has become far easier than before, with Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and third-ranked Alexander Zverev all eliminated.

Win Cincinnati Masters

Last year, Alcaraz suffered a first-round loss in a dramatic encounter with Gael Monfils, and so he will be looking to gain a lot in this contest. He would have to beat Sinner, Rublev, Zverev, and Tiafoe to win the championship.

With 500 points to defend, a win for Alcaraz would mean Sinner could miss out on crucial points, and the Spaniard could come within touching distance of the Italian’s tally.

Win the US Open

Sinner will be defending his title at Flushing Meadows, which presents Alcaraz with his best opportunity to finish the year as World No. 1.

If the points gap between them isn’t too large, a strong run at the US Open — where Alcaraz lost in the second round last year- could be enough for the 22-year-old to reclaim the top spot. Meanwhile, Sinner has 2,000 points to defend, making his task of staying at the top even more challenging.

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