Carlos Alcaraz's pursuit for the year-end No. 1 ranking knows no bounds, and the young Spaniard is keen to capitalize on Novak Djokovic's absence during the Asian swing.
Alcaraz lost on two fronts at the US Open. First, Djokovic usurped him from the top spot in the ATP rankings and then overtook him in the ATP Race after winning his 24th major. But the 20-year-old is determined to mount a challenge during the Asian swing, where Djokovic confirmed his absence after guiding his country to the Davis Cup Final 8.
The Serbian is expected to lose 750 points in the next month, split between Astana and Tel Aviv where Djokovic won both events in 2022. Alcaraz can then bridge that gap that stood at 3,260 points at the start of the week in the world rankings.
Moreover, Alcaraz will look to eclipse Djokovic in the ATP Race, which accounts for points earned in the current season. So far, Djokovic leads by 770 points over the Spaniard. But should Alcaraz emerge victorious at the China Open, he'll cut that gap by a substantial margin, precisely down to 270 points.
And with the Shanghai Masters around the corner, where 1,000 points will be up for grabs, Alcaraz will have the chance to effectively put himself in the driver's seat for the year-end No. 1 ranking. And he is fully aware of that golden opportunity.
"Yes, of course. I mean, right now I think Novak at this time defending some points. In the race, he's like 700 or 800 points over me. Being able to play these two tournaments, and he's not playing, so I have the opportunity to get back the No. 1 or be closer."
"That's the point to these two tournaments, to be able to do well here in Beijing and Shanghai, hopefully to get back the No. 1. But if I don't get it, if I get closer to him, it's really good because there are few tournaments ahead."
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