Jannik Sinner is continuing to collect incredible numbers in 2024. The season of the Italian ace is already one of the best in the modern era, with seven titles won and only six losses suffered from January to date. This season, the world number 1 has won two Grand Slam titles and three Masters 1000 titles giving the feeling of being unstoppable (especially on the hard courts).
Only Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz was able to challenge the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria, who suffered three defeats against the Spanish champion in 2024. The 21-year-old from Murcia won the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, the French Open semifinal and the beautiful final in Beijing a short time ago.
Despite Carlitos winning two Majors and a Masters 1000 this year, his distance from Jannik in the ATP ranking is really huge. The four-time Grand Slam champion had some drops during this season, while Sinner was almost always flawless despite the fact that he has been under a lot of stress over the last few months due to his doping.
Novak Djokovic & Jannik Sinner, Shanghai Masters 2024© Stream screenshot
The Italian has just won the Masters 1000 in Shanghai losing a single set throughout his run, beating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the final. Jannik is also shining in the ‘Six Kings Slam’ – the prestigious exhibition in Saudi Arabia – having left just three games to Daniil Medvedev in his first match.
Sinner defends the No.1
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria is already sure to finish 2024 at the top of the ATP ranking and will play three more official tournaments before going on holiday (Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy, Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and Davis Cup Finals in Malaga). Sinner is ‘living’ his 19th week as the world number one and has already put in the special ranking Swedish legend Mats Wilander, who has stopped at 20 in his career.
The Italian tennis player, author of an increasingly extraordinary season in the ATP tour, is about to start a real climb to defend as much as possible the top of the ranking. Secured the record until the end of the year, the next big rock for the Italian will definitely be the 2025 Australian Open, where he won the trophy at the beginning of 2023.
Jannik Sinner & Daniil Medvedev, Six Kings Slam 2024© Stream screenshot
From Paris-Bercy, as soon as the exhibition will be closed in Saudi Arabia, a distance duel between the 23 year old of Sesto Pusteria and Carlos Alcaraz will start, who will try to give himself a chance to overtake the direct rival in Melbourne. To do so, however, will definitely have to reduce the 4800 points that there are currently difference between the two players.
To be sure of staying at the top of the world ranking after the Australian Open, even before playing them, the blue athlete will have to keep about 2000 lengths of advantage over the Spaniard (that is, the one he will defend in the Australian event). If you imagine a string of victories for the young 21-year-old from El Palmar between France, Italy and Australia, Sinner needs to win in the next three tournaments 3000 points in total: the threshold will go down if Alcaraz naturally did not get the best in tournaments.
Both are expected to be in particular at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, where they could win the event. With two important titles still to be won, both Jannik and Carlitos will try to close the year with a bang: for the Italian ace it would be almost an absolute record, considering the 7 trophies already placed on the board.
The beginning of a duopoly
In a recent interview with Sky Sports Italy, former ATP ace and former Roger Federer’s coach Ivan Ljubicic talked about Sinner and Alcaraz: “The numbers speak for themselves, he is dominating right now and we hope for the Italian crowd that he will do so for as long as possible. He has double the points of Alcaraz even though they have won two Slams each, this gives a sense of his absurd consistency, which is the sign of great champions.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz© @janniksin X account
Jannik and Carlos are very different as players, in character and in type of game: Jannik is more consistent. If we talk about ranking, he will probably be ahead of Alcaraz in many aspects. At the top, in a single tournament or in a direct confrontation, however, anything can happen. When Carlitos plays well, I do not say that he is unplayable, but he is scary. On the other hand, regarding consistency, Jannik made us understand and continues to make us understand that he is special. Perhaps he does not have the spectacular shots of Alcaraz but he has almost perfect tennis.”
