At this year’s US Open the age range of players challenging for the No.1 position go from 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz to 36-year-old Rafael Nadal.
The top spot is currently held by Daniil Medvedev who is the reigning US Open champion and will be seeking to become the first player outside the Big Three to win back-to-back titles in New York since Patrick Rafter (1997 and 1998). He will be defending a total of 2000 ranking points but when those points drop off on August 29th he will fall behind Nadal who didn’t play at the tournament last year due to injury. The gap between the two players will be 745 points, so Medvedev will need to go a couple of rounds better than the Spaniard to maintain his top spot.
Nadal’s quest to the top depends on how his rivals perform and if he will be able to regain his form. The 22-time major champion has only played one match since pulling out of his Wimbledon semi-final clash against Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury. At the Cincinnati Masters, he fell in straight sets to Borna Coric who went on to win the title.
“It’s a very special place for me, and I enjoy it, unforgettable moments there, and I’m gonna try my very best every single day to be ready for that,” Nadal recently told reporters about playing at the US Open.
A four-time champion, Nadal last played at Flushing Meadows in 2019 when he lifted the trophy. In 2020 he skipped the event due to concerns related to covid-19 and the following year a foot injury sidelined him.
A trio of other players could also claim the No.1 spot but they need their opponent to lose earlier than them in the tournament and reach the final at least. Out of those players, Norway’s Casper Ruud is the only one to have previously played in a Grand Slam final. Doing so at the 2022 French Open where he lost in straight sets to Nadal. Ruud, who is yet to go beyond the third round in New York, is bidding to become the first tennis player from his country to become world No.1.
Coincidentally Stefanos Tsitsipas is another player who is yet to venture beyond the third round at the US Open. Although he is a three-time Australian Open semi-finalist and has reached the same stage at Roland Garros. The Greek has mixed emotions about his current form after reaching the final in Cincinnati before losing in straight sets to Coric.
Finally, teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz is in with a shout of becoming the youngest ATP No.1 in history. A record currently held by Lleyton Hewitt who reached the milestone at the age of 20. The Spaniard has been a revelation this year by reaching six Tour finals, winning two Masters 1000 titles and an ATP 500 event. However, his North American preparation saw him losing his opening match at the Canadian Open to Tommy Paul and then he lost in the quarter-finals of Cincinnati to Cameron Norrie. Both of those matches were lengthy three-set encounters.
The contenders will learn more about their path to No.1 on Thursday when the US Open draw takes place. Then the first round will get underway on Monday.
Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings Points (as of 29 August)
- Rafael Nadal 5,630
- Alexander Zverev 5,040 (not playing US Open and not in contention of claiming No.1 spot)
- Daniil Medvedev 4,885
- Stefanos Tsitsipas 4,800
- Carlos Alcaraz 4,740
- Casper Ruud 4,650
Source – atptour.com
Points on offer at the US Open
- Winner: 2,000 points
- Finalist: 1,200 points
- Semi-finalist: 720 points
- Quarter-finalist: 360 points
- Fourth Round: 180 points
- Third Round: 90 points
- Second Round: 45 points
- First Round: 10 points
