Sinner Increases Lead Over Alcaraz and Zverev Despite His Suspension
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Jannik Sinner's position as the ATP No. 1 is under threat until the end of his ongoing ban. However, his lead actually grew after the 2025 Indian Wells Open despite not being able to play in California.
Sinner is suspended until May 4th after settling his doping with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He tested positive twice for the banned substance clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, beginning a long-running saga.
The Italian was initially set to appear at the Court of Arbitration for Sport when WADA appealed the initial decision to clear him of wrongdoing, despite WADA accepting that his physiotherapist accidentally contaminated him at the time.
Sinner's ban started on February 9th. His first eligible tournament back will be the 2025 Italian Open, and the Rome event's organizers are already taking special measures to protect him.
The three-time Grand Slam champion's suspension has given Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, who are ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, a terrific opportunity to overtake him and become the top-ranked man in the world.
However, neither man adequately seized the chance at the Indian Wells Open. Zverev lost in the round of 64, being defeated in a deciding set tiebreak by Tallon Griekspoor after a thrilling battle.
Two-time defending champion fared better than that, beating Quentin Halys, Denis Shapovalov, Grigor Dimitrov, and Francisco Cerundolo to reach a fourth consecutive semifinal at the tournament.
Alcaraz's record in Indian Wells meant he was a significant favorite against Jack Draper, despite the Briton's impressive form heading into the match. The Spaniard fell in three sets to his fellow young star in a contest that included a controversial moment involving the video review system.
Zverev dropped 190 points due to losing in the opening round, taking his total to 7945. Alcaraz's inability to defend his title led to him dropping 600 points, leaving him on 6910 ranking points.
Sinner's total is 11330. That means Zverev is 3385 points behind Sinner, while Alcaraz is 4420 points away from the 2025 Australian Open winner's lead at the top of the rankings, leaving them with work to do.
Zverev could have significantly closed the gap in the last month if he had been on his game. The German played at the Argentina Open, Rio Open, and Mexican Open but failed to advance past the quarterfinals in any of them.
This year's runner-up to Sinner at the Australian Open admitted he was playing badly after the loss in Indian Wells and wants to focus on returning to form before even considering getting to No. 1.
The good news for Alcaraz is that he will not defend points from a title run again until the French Open, starting May 25th. If the four-time Grand Slam champion stays fit, he can push closer to Sinner's place at No. 1.
Zverev and Alcaraz will also be helped by Sinner dropping 1,000 points after the 2025 Miami Open since he cannot defend the title he won last year in Florida.
