By Roberto Ferri, translated by Kinglsey Elliot Kaye
The spacecraft that landed Carlos Alcaraz on our planet has stopped in the pit stalls for a brief maintenance and will set off again for Paris in a couple of weeks. Disappointment for those who were looking forward to watching this stunning teenager in Rome who seems to be playing tennis with the same enthusiasm as a child opening his presents on Christmas Day.
Alcaraz’s rush to the peak of the rankings has come to a temporary halt in sixth position and is going to start again on 22nd May, when Roland Garros kicks off.
It is worth reminding those who take delight in indulging in forecasts that Alcaraz has only 1300 points to defend until the end of the year. Which position is he going to occupy at the end of 2022? (The writer believes the 3rd, the translator the 1st).
TOP 20
| Position | Player | Country | Points | +/- |
| 1 | Djokovic | Serbia | 8260 | |
| 2 | Medvedev | Russia | 7990 | |
| 3 | Zverev | Germany | 7020 | |
| 4 | Nadal | Spain | 6435 | |
| 5 | Tsitsipas | Greece | 5750 | |
| 6 | Alcaraz | Spain | 4773 | 3 |
| 7 | Rublev | Russia | 4115 | 1 |
| 8 | Berrettini | Italy | 3895 | -2 |
| 9 | Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 3760 | 1 |
| 10 | Ruud | Norway | 3760 | -3 |
| 11 | Norrie | GB | 3380 | |
| 12 | Hurkacz | Poland | 3130 | 2 |
| 13 | Sinner | Italy | 3060 | -1 |
| 14 | Fritz | USA | 310 | -1 |
| 15 | Schwartzman | Argentina | 2760 | |
| 16 | Shapovalov | Canada | 2671 | |
| 17 | Opelka | USA | 2440 | |
| 18 | Carreno Busta | Spain | 2135 | |
| 19 | Bautista Agut | Spain | 1993 | |
| 20 | Dimitrov | Bulgaria | 1830 |
Besides the rise of Alcaraz, there are few changes in the top 20:
∙ Quarter-finalists in Madrid, Rublev and Auger Aliassime gain one position; Hurkacz two.
∙ Berrettini and Ruud lose 2 and 3 places respectively. The Italian is still grounded because of his hand injury and forced to miss his home tournament in Rome; the Norwegian is still in quest of his best consistency.
∙ Sinner and Fritz slip one step back.
NITTO ATP FINALS RACE TO TURIN
Nadal and Alcaraz are back in the first 2 positions of the ranking which considers only the results achieved in 2022.
| Position | Player | Country | Pts |
| 1 | Nadal | Spain | 3540 |
| 2 | Alcaraz | Spain | 3470 |
| 3 | Tsitsipas | Greece | 2900 |
| 4 | Rublev | Russia | 1920 |
| 5 | Medvedev | Russia | 1900 |
| 6 | Auger Aliassime | Canada | 1855 |
| 7 | Fritz | USA | 1765 |
| 8 | Zverev | Germany | 1630 |
| 9 | Ruud | Norway | 1265 |
| 10 | Hurkacz | Poland | 1210 |
Zverev is back, leaping from 12 to 8, Hurkacz edges into 10th. Schwartzman and Shapovalov drop out, but are just behind, ready to bounce back. Novak Djokovic recovers 70 positions in one week and moves up to No. 28.
NEXT GEN RACE TO MILAN
The gap between the points of Alcaraz and the other 7 best under 21s all together slightly shrinks. The current score is: Alcaraz 3470 vs Rest of the World 3667.
| Position | Player | Country | Pts | YOB |
| 1 | Alcaraz | Spain | 3470 | 2003 |
| 2 | Sinner | Italy | 1080 | 2001 |
| 3 | Rune | Denmark | 538 | 2003 |
| 4 | Musetti | Italy | 486 | 2002 |
| 5 | Lehecka | Czechia | 483 | 2001 |
| 6 | Draper | GB | 449 | 2001 |
| 7 | Tseng | Taipei | 400 | 2001 |
| 8 | Nardi | Italy | 231 | 2003 |
| 9 | Cobolli | Italy | 222 | 2002 |
| 10 | Nakashima | USA | 200 | 2001 |
BEST RANKING
Congratulations to the 10 players who have achieved their career best:
| Player | Position | Country |
| Alcaraz | 6 | Spain |
| Kecmanovic | 31 | Serbia |
| Baez | 37 | Argentina |
| Martinez | 40 | Spain |
| Rune | 42 | Denmark |
| Musetti | 51 | Italy |
| Lekecha | 79 | Czechia |
| Tabilo | 82 | Chile |
| Echeverry | 90 | Argentina |
| Halys | 100 | France |
Double applause for the French 25-year-old Quentin Halys who makes his debut in the top 100.
