No one touches Jannik Sinner, the champion at the moment is in a barrel: all for naught, none for anyone.
He’s still not his usual Jannik Sinner self, but he’s already definitely doing better, to hear him tell it. Of course, the more time he spends on the field, the better. Because after the tonsillitis that forced him out of the Olympics, but especially after a whole week spent in bed, what he needs most is just to play and put as many matches in his legs as possible.
But that’s not all. The South Tyrolean needs, now more than ever, to rack up points. He failed in the feat of defending the 1,000 he won last year in Canada, reasoning that he will have to run for cover soon, lest he lose his status as world No. 1. Tonight he will compete with Jordan Thompson for access to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 and we will better understand what the future prospects are, but for the moment one certainty is already there.
By the time the Us Open rolls around, Sinner will still be world No. 1. Just in the Big Apple, however, he will have to start looking over his shoulder, because at that moment the possibility of an overtaking will no longer be so remote. But let’s see, in detail, what is the current point total of the top 3 players in the world, so as to understand how the ranking might evolve, in the near future.
Chase to the top, New York will decide everything
Let’s start by saying that Jannik undoubtedly benefited from Novak Djokovic’s forfeit at the Masters 1000 being played these hours in Ohio. Nole won, last year, the tournament, which is why, having waved the white flag, he did not have a chance to defend the lavish haul he put in his pocket 365 days ago.
August 20, then, will discard those points and drop to 7460, at least 1,300 points behind the Innichen native. A number that, of course, could increase should the Italian go ahead in Cincinnati and gain more advantage over the Serb. As for Carlos Alcaraz, there is a good chance that he will be able to overtake as early as the next few hours the rival who took the gold medal away from him at the Olympics. Which will happen should he make the quarterfinals.
Even then, however, the gap between the Iberian and the Italian would still be significant, so Carlitos will still not be able to go beyond second place in the rankings. The Us Open, which could upset the rankings and the current balance, will be crucial in this regard.