Novak Djokovic made a huge step towards reclaiming the number one rank from Carlos Alcaraz, but he's not there yet.
The Serbian produced an incredible effort to outlast the youngster in a grueling, almost 4-hour battle for the Cincinnati Masters trophy. The Serbian had a really decent shot of dethroning Alcaraz during this American summer Tour due to Alcaraz having plenty of points to defend while Djokovic had zero.
He missed these events last year due to his unvaccinated status, which prevented him from setting foot on North American soil as a foreign national. Restrictions were lifted in the meantime, and Djokovic is back to marching on US soil. He trampled his opposition in Cincinnati and hopes to keep that going at the US Open.
Despite winning the Cincinnati Masters and getting a fresh 1000 points, the Serbian still trails Alcaraz on the rankings but only by a mere 20 points. He only needs to win a match at the US Open to ensure that he leaves Flushing Meadows as the number one player in the world, regardless of what Alcaraz does.
The battle for the number one ranking might not have gotten the same publicity as the battle for the US Open trophy, and rightly so, but it was always going to be a talking point while these events went on. Alcaraz has held it for a while now, but Djokovic wants to return it.
And while the Serb may soon retake the world no. 1 spot from Alcaraz, he's not currently in the pole position to be the year-end no. 1, as he still trails the 20-year-old in the 2023 ATP Race. Currently, Alcaraz is first with 7455 points earned this season, despite missing the 2023 Australian Open, while Djokovic is second with 6945 points.
This deficit can be easily recovered by the Serbian during the 2023 US Open, since a title win would surely push him ahead of the youngster. On the other hand, if Alcaraz wins the title, it may be very difficult for Djokovic to overcome the youngster with only a handful of high-rewarding events left.
0 Comments