Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban from the ATP tour sent ripples through the tennis world, opening a window of opportunity for other players to close the gap or even surpass him in the rankings. While Sinner maintained his No. 1 ranking, several players made significant strides, accumulating valuable points during his absence. Let’s delve into which players capitalized the most during this period.
The Context: Sinner’s Suspension and its Impact
In February 2025, Jannik Sinner, the reigning Australian Open champion and world No. 1, faced a suspension following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) relating to a positive test for a banned substance, clostebol, at the Indian Wells tournament in March 2024. Despite an independent tribunal initially clearing him, WADA’s appeal led to a three-month ban, effective from February 9 to May 4, 2025. This suspension forced Sinner to miss several key tournaments, including the Qatar Open, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and Madrid Open, resulting in a loss of ranking points. Specifically, he was set to drop 1,600 points: 1,000 for winning Miami, 400 for reaching the semi-finals of Monte Carlo, and 200 for reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid.
The Race to Overtake Sinner
With Sinner sidelined, the spotlight turned to the players vying for the top spot, most notably Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.
Alexander Zverev: As the world No. 2, Zverev had the most realistic chance of dethroning Sinner. Going into the period of Sinner’s ban, Zverev had 8,135 ranking points. He was defending 900 points from the same period last year: 100 for reaching the semi-finals of Los Cabos, 200 for reaching the quarter-finals of Indian Wells, 400 for reaching the semi-finals in Miami, 100 for reaching the third round in Monte Carlo, and 100 for reaching the fourth round in Madrid. To overtake Sinner, Zverev needed to make up a significant point gap by performing well in the Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid, as well as ATP 500 events like Rio, Acapulco, and Munich.
Carlos Alcaraz: The young Spaniard also had a mathematical chance to surpass Sinner, but faced a steeper climb. Alcaraz had 7,410 ranking points before Sinner’s ban and was defending 1,400 points: 1,000 for winning Indian Wells, 200 for reaching the quarter-finals of Miami, and 200 for reaching the quarter-finals of Madrid. Like Zverev, Alcaraz needed strong results in the major tournaments to close the gap.
Jack Draper’s Ascent
While Zverev and Alcaraz were the primary contenders to snatch the No. 1 ranking, Jack Draper emerged as a standout performer during Sinner’s absence. Draper’s impressive results propelled him into the top 10 for the first time in his career.
- Indian Wells Champion: Draper won the Indian Wells Masters, a significant achievement that earned him valuable ranking points. In the final, he defeated Holger Rune to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy.
- Madrid Open Finalist: Draper continued his strong performance on clay, reaching the final of the Madrid Open. Although he lost to Casper Ruud in the final, his impressive run further solidified his position in the top echelon of men’s tennis.
- Top 5 Ranking: Draper’s success in Indian Wells and Madrid saw him climb to a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world.
Ranking Points Update
As of March 16, 2025, after the Indian Wells Open, the top ATP rankings were:
- Jannik Sinner: 11,330 points
- Alexander Zverev: 7,945 points
- Carlos Alcaraz: 6,910 points
Despite Sinner’s ban, his lead over Zverev actually increased after Indian Wells, as Zverev lost early in the tournament and Alcaraz failed to defend his title.
Zverev and Alcaraz After Indian Wells
Zverev and Alcaraz “failed to make up much ground over the past month”. Zverev “admittedly not played well since losing to Sinner in the Australian Open”. Alcaraz won the Rotterdam 500 but lost earlier than expected in Doha and Indian Wells. Sinner had a 3,695-point lead over Zverev and a 4,320-point lead over Alcaraz when he began his suspension. However, Zverev lost 190 points, and Alcaraz lost 600 points. After Indian Wells, Sinner’s lead as the World No. 1 increased over his opponents.
The Final Stretch
The Miami Open presented another opportunity for Zverev and Alcaraz to gain ground, as Sinner was defending champion and would drop 1,000 points. Zverev and Alcaraz were defending 400 and 200 points, respectively.
Final Standings
Jack Draper earned the most ATP ranking points during Sinner’s ban, he won the Indian Wells Masters and made it to the Madrid Open final. While Alexander Zverev entered as the most likely to overtake Sinner, he did not capitalize.
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