With Jannik Sinner’s shocking three-month suspension shaking up the ATP rankings, the race for the World No. 1 spot has taken an unexpected turn. However, Carlos Alcaraz isn’t losing sleep over his biggest rival’s absence—he’s laser-focused on winning, not watching the leaderboard.
In a recent interview with AS, the 22-year-old Spaniard brushed off speculation about how Sinner’s ban might impact his ranking ambitions, making it clear that his approach remains the same—play his best tennis and let the numbers take care of themselves.
“There is not much to say about the sanction,” Alcaraz stated. “But whether Jannik plays or not, we try to do well in every tournament because first place is a goal.”
With Sinner out until May 4th, Alcaraz—currently sitting third in the ATP rankings behind Alexander Zverev—has a golden opportunity to reclaim the top spot. The Italian will be forced to miss four Masters 1000 events—Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid—causing a significant loss of ranking points, leaving Alcaraz and Zverev with an open lane to take over.
The Road to No. 1: Can Alcaraz Capitalize?
Sinner, who currently has 11,830 points, will see a major drop due to his title defense in Miami and deep runs in Indian Wells and Monte Carlo last year. Meanwhile, Zverev (8,135 points) and Alcaraz (7,510 points) are within striking distance.
Alcaraz, however, isn’t concerned with the rankings chase—he’s focused on his own game and goals.
“Right now, as always, we try to focus on what we need to improve, and from there we will do our best in the tournaments to try to get closer to first place.”
Alcaraz’s 2025 Goals: More Grand Slams & Masters Titles
While climbing back to World No. 1 is a natural goal, Alcaraz has bigger aspirations for 2025—adding another Grand Slam to his collection and dominating the Masters 1000 circuit.
“Trying to win at least one Grand Slam is a good goal, as is fighting for Masters 1000 titles,” he said. “These are the clearest goals, but each tournament is important, so try to win as many tournaments as possible.”
With the clay and grass seasons approaching, Alcaraz’s chances look promising. He’s the defending champion at Wimbledon, and his success on hard courts makes him a serious contender in the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells & Miami).
What’s Next?
While Sinner’s suspension has thrown a curveball into the 2025 season, Alcaraz isn’t getting distracted. His mindset is clear—stay focused, keep winning, and let the rankings handle themselves.
With Indian Wells and Miami on the horizon, the Spaniard has a prime opportunity to capitalize. If he performs well, we could see Alcaraz back at No. 1 much sooner than expected.
And based on his championship mentality, don’t be surprised if he does exactly that.
