Carlos Alcaraz will hold onto the No. 1 ranking on the ATP Tour at least until the conclusion of the US Open after reaching the Cincinnati Masters final.
Alcaraz fended off a match point late in the second set of his semifinal against Hubert Hurkacz before he prevailed 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 to set up a marquee final against second seed Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was in a prime position to reclaim the top spot this week, but needed to win the tournament and for Alcaraz to stumble before the final.
While one of those scenarios could come true on finals weekend at the Western & Southern Open, it won't suffice now that Alcaraz has reached the championship match. Djokovic can get a maximum of 9,795 points, but the Spaniard's victory over Hurkacz guarantees him to keep the top spot by at least 20 points even with a runner-up finish.
Alcaraz, therefore, will head to New York as the top seed and where he will look to defend his title. But before things begin to unravel at the Big Apple, Djokovic could win a significant psychological battle if he emerges triumphant on Sunday.
Alcaraz leads Djokovic 2-1 in their head-to-head, winning their last duel at this year's Wimbledon Championships in five sets. It marked Djokovic's first defeat on Centre Court at SW19 in 10 years, which ensured the 20-year-old would remain No. 1 at the time.
Although Alcaraz has not coasted through the draw in Cincinnati, he's shown an admirable level of mental toughness to win each of his matches in three sets. A big test certainly awaits on Sunday against the experienced Djokovic who is a two-time champion at the event in what will be their first hard-court clash.
Alcaraz is in a buoyant mood ahead of the match and is not concerned at the chances he's given away and then needing to come back. He attributes his own career growth to living up to the crunch of close contests.
"It's been a really tough tournament, all matches have gone three sets. But I'm really happy to win these kinds of matches and stay strong mentally, these matches are really good for me. I grow up a lot thanks to these matches."
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