The fight for number 1: Alcaraz can take Djokovic, but the Serbian has a little-known advantage that will not knock him off the top of world tennis

On his way through the Open Argentinain which he won the seventh title of his career (the first of this 2023), Carlos Alcaraz He acknowledged that one of his goals this season will be to try to recover the world number one, which he stole Novak Djokovic winning his 22nd ‘big’ in the Australian Open. The fight for first place in the standings resumes this week, with the Spaniard and the Serbian protagonists, although without the possibility of changing at the top.

If it screams champion in Rio de Janeiro ATPCarlitos will equalize the points harvest of Freight, but even then you won’t be able to scroll through it. Because according to the norms of the ATP extensionif there are two players who have the same number of odds, the one who has added the most of the compulsory tournaments on the calendar and the ATP Finals. And in that sum, Djokovic takes advantage of it.

The Serbian -who started his week 377 as leader of the standings this Monday, the same as the German managed to be at the WTA top Steffi Graff, who has remained at the top of the world rankings throughout tennis history, leads with 7,070 points. Inactive since his Melbourne consecration, he will not play this week, so in the next update he will lose the 90 he reached last year by reaching the quarter-finals in Dubai. So next Monday he will stay at 6,980.

The Spaniard is second with 6,480 and is defending no units this week. If he wins the Rio de Janeiro tournament -in which he will make his debut against the local Matthew Alvesone of the guests of the organization, and could come across in his third match with diego schwartzmann– will add 500 points and even reach 6,980, equaling Djokovic.

It will then be necessary to break down the ranking of each one to break the parity. In this tiebreak the points won in the four Majors will weigh (although it is worth remembering that last year, Wimbledon delivered no units, in retaliation by the ATP for the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players), the eight mandatory Masters 1000 (Montecarlo is the only one who does not fall into that group) and the Masters Tournament, which brings together the eight best of the season at the end of each year.

Djokovic has 2,000 since his victory in Australia in January and 360 for reaching the quarter-finals in the last edition of Roland Garros. The Serbian did not play in August US Open, because he was unable to enter the United States because he was not vaccinated against Covid-19. The Serbian also adds 1,960 of his performances in the Rome Masters (he came out as champion), Paris (he was a finalist) and Madrid (semifinals); and another 1,500 for his consecration at the ATP Finals in Turin. In total, 5,820 points.

Alcaraz also has 2,360 if you count the Grand Slams: 2,000 from the title in New York and 360 from the quarterfinals in Paris (he missed the Melbourne event earlier this year due to a muscle injury to the right leg) . And another 2,730 from the Masters 1000, thanks to victories in Miami and Madrid, the semifinals of Indian Wells, the quarterfinals of Cincinnati and Paris and the second round of Montreal. Absent from Turin last year, he would remain at 5,090, 730 less than Djokovic.

So whatever happens with Alcaraz in Rio, the Serbian already has the number 1 secured until at least March 5th. And they’ll also have plenty of chances to hold that position in the following weeks, because they won’t defend points until the European Brick Dust Tour, which kicks off in April. While the Spanish will play a lot in March, in Indian Wells and Miami.

Although Carlitos could also add a lot in the first of those Masters 1000, in the Californian desert, he will thus have the possibility of recovering the number 1 before the start of the slow course season in the Old Continent, which will culminate with Roland Garros.