Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have not taken advantage of Jannik Sinner’s suspension, at least for the moment. The world No.1 will be suspended until May 4, but he has a very good chance of staying at the top of the ATP ranking despite not being able to compete for three months.
Sascha really played his worst tennis in February and is still suffering from the heavy loss in the Australian Open final, which left a mark on his mind and which will not be easy to overcome (as happened to Daniil Medvedev after the 2024 AO final).
The German ace was prematurely eliminated in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco, failing to earn points and showing up at the American Masters 1000 (Indian Wells and Miami) with many uncertainties.
His latest defeat to young American Learner Tien in Acapulco was emblematic of Sascha’s current struggles, who should have shown a significant reaction after being demolished by Sinner in the final of the first Major of the season.
Carlitos – on the other hand – won a title in February, at the Rotterdam ATP 500, breaking a four-month fast and proving that he can also be competitive in indoor conditions.
However, the world number 3 suffered a very surprising loss in the quarterfinals at the Doha ATP 500 last week. The 4-time Grand Slam champion surrendered in the quarterfinals to Czech ace Jiri Lehecka, who recovered a break deficit in the third set and slipped a streak of four consecutive games.
Zverev and Alcaraz fight for No.2
For these reasons, the gap between Zverev and Alcaraz remains 625 points before the American Masters 1000. The Spanish player will not have the chance to earn points in Indian Wells, as he will have to defend the title won in the last edition.
Carlos will have to defend 200 points in Miami, where he stopped in the quarterfinals in 2024.
The German will only defend 600 points between Indian Wells and Miami, which is why Alcaraz should have the first chance to overtake Sascha in Monte Carlo (where he had not played last year due to a forearm injury).
Tennis World USA