ATP Race Update: Carlos Alcaraz finally dethrones Jannik Sinner and takes top spot

Big changes in the ATP Race as Carlos Alcaraz finally takes the top spot, overtaking Jannik Sinner following the Italian’s two-month suspension. It's a turning point in the ATP Race after a period filled with surprises and a couple of deep runs at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The ATP Race only counts points earned during the 2025 calendar year, starting from the first week of January. It is this Race that determines the eight players who will qualify for the ATP Finals at the end of the season.

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Changes at the top

With just one tournament under his belt, Jannik Sinner had managed to stay at the top for 10 weeks thanks solely to his Australian Open title and the relative inconsistency of his closest competitors. But Carlos Alcaraz has now taken the lead after winning the Monte-Carlo Masters — his sixth tournament in a Sinner-less stretch that included three Masters 1000 events.

Despite criticism following his early exit at the Miami Open, Alcaraz has become the best-performing player of the season so far. On his way to his first Monte-Carlo title, the Spaniard defeated the likes of Arthur Fils and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, before beating an injured Lorenzo Musetti in the final.

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With Alcaraz and Sinner sitting in the top two spots, the podium is completed by Alexander Zverev. Since reaching the Australian Open final, Zverev has posted a 6–6 record — a poor return for a player who has remained in the top 3 for the last six months. His early loss to Matteo Berrettini in Monte-Carlo raised more questions, but with Munich up next — a tournament he’s won twice and on home soil — Zverev could find motivation to climb higher. A title this week could see him overtake Sinner.

Zverev has a record  2-3 since in the last three Masters 1000 tournaments

The Second Surge

The top five also saw two players exit early in Monte-Carlo: Jack Draper – Indian Wells champion – and Novak Djokovic, who was a finalist in Miami and a semifinalist at the Australian Open. Djokovic is not competing this week, which puts his position at risk. Alex de Minaur has risen to 6th place and could continue climbing if he wins matches at the Barcelona Open. In fact, advancing just one round would allow him to overtake Djokovic.

Further down the list is Jakub Mensik, the Miami Open champion. The 19-year-old did not compete in Monte-Carlo as he failed to qualify — the entry list had closed before his maiden Masters 1000 title. This week, he’ll debut on clay in Munich, playing his first-ever match on the surface at tour level. He now faces the challenge of proving himself through this surface transition.

Also pushing up is the surprising Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, arguably enjoying the most consistent stretch of his career — even though he’s yet to claim a title at 25. He’s already reached the finals in Delray Beach and the Mexican Open, and just made the semifinals in Monte-Carlo. After injury struggles last season, the switch to clay could play to his strengths, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Davidovich fights for a top-10 spot in the coming months.

The current top 10 is completed by Felix Auger-Aliassime (just 5 points behind Davidovich) and Ben Shelton, both of whom exited early in Monte-Carlo. Both players are competing this week at the Munich Open.

Tight Battle for the Top 10

There’s an intense battle just outside the top 10, with five notable players separated by just 25 points. A single win could shift the rankings between:

• Holger Rune (1,020 pts)

• Stefanos Tsitsipas (1,005 pts)

• Tommy Paul (1,000 pts)

• Lorenzo Musetti (1,000 pts)

• Taylor Fritz (995 pts)

Among them, Musetti gained the most this week by reaching the Monte-Carlo final. It was also a solid week for Stefanos Tsitsipas, who, despite failing to defend his title, made it to the quarterfinals and narrowed the gap with his competitors. Rune and Tsitsipas are the only two competing this week. Given the recent struggles of Shelton and Auger-Aliassime, they are well positioned to make a move up the standings.

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