Alcaraz extends lead to No. 1 even though there are no points to defend from Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz now owns a 3,150 point lead at the top of the ATP rankings after taking the Qatar ExxonMobil Open title this past weekend. Alcaraz dropped just one set in Doha and defeated Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-1 in the final.
“I came this year hungry for something else,” said Alcaraz, who recently completed a career Grand Slam with his victory at the Australian Open. “I think that after every tournament, we have to set new goals. I’m very happy and proud of everything I did with my team on and off the court. It was a strong start to the year. It wasn’t easy…. I had to be strong mentally with my team. I’m playing good tennis and I’m very happy this week. This trophy means a lot to me.”
It also means that Alcaraz’s cushion over Jannik Sinner at the top of the rankings is now 300 points higher than it was when the Doha event began. The 22-year-old Spaniard added 500 points when 100 came off the board at the end of the quarterfinals in Doha 12 months ago. Soni added 100 points but didn’t lose a single one, as he is suspended at this stage of the 2025 campaign.
The 24-year-old Italian was out of action for three months last season between the Australian Open and the Rome Masters. As such, he can only increase his points total in the upcoming scheduled appearances in Indian Wells and Miami. It will be a similar story in the early stages of the clay court swing if Sinner comes to Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and maybe even Barcelona.
From now until Rome, Alcaraz has 400 points to defend in Indian Wells (semifinal), 1,000 in Monte-Carlo (champions), and 330 in Barcelona (runner-up).
