How far will Sinner extend his streak of consecutive weeks at No. 1?

[Winner Sinner]

Jannik Sinner is increasingly number one, and after his success against Alexander Zverev in the final and his confirmation at the Australian Open, his dominance in the rankings risks becoming, for the others, a real tyranny. The Italian leaves Melbourne with 11,830 points, the same with which he entered, with a huge advantage of 3695 points over Zverev, stuck at 8135. The German has however nibbled 500 points away from Sinner, given that in 2024 Sasha stopped in the semifinals, beaten in five sets by Daniil Medvedev. The advantage over number 3, Carlos Alcaraz, who exited in the quarterfinals (exactly like 2024) remains unchanged at 4120 points. With 34 weeks, Jannik Sinner is in seventeenth place for weeks as world number one, behind Carlos Alcaraz, stuck at 36. It's a matter of time: the Italian will certainly overtake his Spanish rival, with the overtaking set for February 17, when week n.37 as n.1 will start for the South Tyrolean.

UPCOMING EVENTS—

But how far can Jannik go? Sinner's 2024 points haul, as we know, was enormous, and so defending it won't be easy, but on the other hand he has scored so many points compared to his rivals (who haven't, for their part, done a great job) that to lose it all and risk losing the throne, at this moment, Jannik would have to really make a mess. Also because, once he has defended the 2000 points of the Australian Open, which was the most difficult part of this first part of the season, from now until April Sinner has "only" another 1500 points to defend, namely the victory in Rotterdam and the one in Miami last year. The Italian will have nothing to defend in Indian Wells, where the points of the 2024 semifinal were taken away from him due to the well-known events related to the accidental positive test for doping. Zverev will have to defend just over 1000 points in total, while Alcaraz will have to defend 1300 in total, with the victory of Indian Wells in 2024. This being the case, any attack on Sinner's No. 1 from now until at least the end of Miami is out of the question, but even wanting to project further ahead, that is, to the clay season, Jannik's primacy seems out of everyone's reach, given that the Italian has many fewer points to defend (and much more to gain, therefore), compared to Alcaraz and Zverev. Sinner on clay, from April to June, will have to defend "only" 1400 points, against Zverev's 2880 points and Alcaraz's 2200. Therefore, even after clay, an overtaking seems truly truly unlikely, given and considering the Italian's current advantage.

 

[jl809]

If he’s not number 1 at the end of this year imo it’s because he’s been banned. He had physical issues at Wimbledon and RG and still reached the SFs comfortably. I think he will be better at both this year. He’s more of a lock on natural surfaces in slams than Alcaraz is on HC in slams rn

 

[RSJfan]

 

[Subway Tennis]

If he’s not number 1 at the end of this year imo it’s because he’s been banned. He had physical issues at Wimbledon and RG and still reached the SFs comfortably. I think he will be better at both this year. He’s more of a lock on natural surfaces in slams than Alcaraz is on HC in slams rn

Agree. It seems to me like Sinner is a bit underrated by a lot of us on clay and he might give us a wake up call in June. But you’re right, the appeal results will partially shape his year no doubt. At a minimum you have to figure a two month ban at some point?

 

[Winner Sinner]

If he’s not number 1 at the end of this year imo it’s because he’s been banned. He had physical issues at Wimbledon and RG and still reached the SFs comfortably. I think he will be better at both this year. He’s more of a lock on natural surfaces in slams than Alcaraz is on HC in slams rn

Yes, at least until the end of Wimbledon there is no margin for others to dislodge him from number 1, Cas permitting.

 

[Winner Sinner]

Correction to the article, Sinner's current advantage over Alcaraz is 4820 points.

 

[RSJfan]

Agree. It seems to me like Sinner is a bit underrated by a lot of us on clay and he might give us a wake up call in June. But you’re right, the appeal results will partially shape his year no doubt. At a minimum you have to figure a two month ban at some point?

I figure no ban and a personal letter of apology from Witold Banka as well as prompt reimbursement by WADA of Carrot’s attorney fees, costs and expenses related to both the ITIA investigation and hearing as well as the WADA appeal. And a large bag of Galatine candy. I also expect Banka and any other senior WADA officials to be arrested by the FBI if they enter the US.

 

[RSJfan]

Agree. It seems to me like Sinner is a bit underrated by a lot of us on clay …

I see no flaws in his game that he can’t win on all surfaces.

 

[Subway Tennis]

I figure no ban and a personal letter of apology from Witold Banka as well as prompt reimbursement by WADA of Carrot’s attorney fees, costs and expenses related to both the ITIA investigation and hearing as well as the WADA appeal. And a large bag of Galatine candy. I also expect Banka and any other senior WADA officials to be arrested by the FBI if they enter the US.

It looks to me like WADA has not always been a fan of the good tennis. They might have bigger issues than that ahead, too, regarding funding and some corruption issues

 

[RSJfan]

It looks to me like WADA has not always been a fan of the good tennis. They might have bigger issues than that ahead, too, regarding funding and some corruption issues

They don’t like The Good Tennis. And they don’t like The Boring Tennis.