Jannik Sinner won the Rotterdam final last Sunday to become the new World No. 3 in the ATP standings.
However, Sinner's rise is not yet official, as the ATP will delay publishing fresh rankings until after the conclusion of the Delray Beach Open final, which was postponed to Monday because of rain.
Nonetheless, it is a historic feat as the 22-year-old is set to become the highest-ranked Italian man. With a Grand Slam title to boot, it has been a sensational start to the season for the man from San Candido.
He is the first ATP player to win his first tournament as a major champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001. This raises the question of whether he is the current best player on tour, contrary to the ATP rankings. Here are five good reasons why he is.
5. UTR Rankings Leader
The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is a player rating system that offers a real-time and accurate measurement of skill level. Following his stunning win over Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal, Sinner has dethroned the Serb in top spot in the UTR rankings.
4. ATP Race Leader
Sinner has set the early pace in the official ATP Race to Turin, which factors points accumulated in the current season. It provides an accurate depiction of form on the ATP Tour. The Italian has garnered 2,500 points from just two tournaments and is ahead of current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who sits in fourth place in the race.
3. Only Double Champion Of 2024
With two titles to his name, Sinner is the first ATP player to win two titles this season. What makes his early success even special is that he only needed two tries to do it.
2. In-Form Player On Tour
With a 100% winning streak this season (12-0), Sinner is the most in-form player on the men's tour. In fact, he has won 25 of his last 27 matches dating back to last year.
The only stains include a walkover in Paris-Bercy and the ATP Finals defeat to Djokovic in the championship match. Sinner's purple patch is the best on tour right now.
1. Recent Winning Record Over Direct Rivals
Perhaps what sets Sinner apart from the rest is that he has a winning edge over his direct rivals from recent head-to-head matches. He has beaten Djokovic in three of their last four meetings. He has also defeated Daniil Medvedev in four successive matches (three in finals).
The 22-year-old also owns a winning record over Carlos Alcaraz on the ATP Tour (4-3). Sinner is 5-2 against Andrey Rublev, who makes up the ATP's Top 5. With this record in mind, the newly-crowned Australian Open champion is the benchmark of competition on tour.
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