Alexander Zverev issues warning to Carlos Alcaraz about Jannik Sinner

In the current live ATP rankings, top-ranked Jannik Sinner leads No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz by 4,000 points. Alexander Zverev is third and trails Alcaraz by 305 points. Sinner's lead for reaching the year-end No. 1 ranking might seem insurmountable, but it isn't.

The reason is that Sinner had a great finish in 2023, so he has a lot of ranking points to defend. He will drop 1,680 points the rest of the way, while Alcaraz will drop just 500 points and Zverev 580. Of course, the Italian could gain even more points should he finish the final three events of his 2024 schedule strong.

He will play in the Shanghai Masters, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals. In 2023, Sinner reached only the round of 16 in both Shanghai and Paris, so if he can get further this year, and the way that he is playing, there should be no doubt that he can do that, then he would gain more points. He did reach the final of the ATP Final, though, and that is where most of his points to defend come from.

Alexander Zverev believes the year-end No. 1 race with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz might be decided

Sinner also won the Vienna Open in between Shanghai and Paris last year and that was an extra 500 points.

Zverev, however, thinks the race for year-end No. 1 is done. Speaking to the media at the Shanghai Masters, the German said, "For me personally, it would be great to finish the year No. 2 in the world. I think the No. 1 spot is gone to Jannik, he made sure about it during the US Open. I think before the US Open, it was quite open between Jannik, Carlos, and myself."

Sinner does not have to win any remaining events to hold on to his ranking. However, he will need to make up the points he got for winning in Vienna last year. He could do that with deep runs in Shanghai and Paris. The biggest tournament in play could be the ATP Finals.

The year-end ATP event offers 1,500 points to an unbeaten champion. Sinner was unbeaten last year at the ATP Finals until he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final. Should Sinner stumble in Shanghai and Paris while either Alcaraz or Zverev perform well and then go on to dominate the ATP Finals, the current rankings could change. That does seem unlikely, though.

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