The 2024 tennis season has been defined by a fierce three-way competition at the top of the men’s rankings.
However, there is a looming possibility that two of these stars, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, could face significant drops in their ATP rankings following the US Open.
Jannik Sinner, who has been in remarkable form this year, began 2024 by winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, followed by victories in Rotterdam and Miami.
These achievements secured his position as the world No. 1, and his spot seems safe, regardless of the US Open outcome. On the other hand, Alcaraz and Djokovic are not so fortunate. Despite winning both the French Open and Wimbledon, Alcaraz finds himself needing to either reach the US Open final or win the title to avoid slipping in the rankings, having only reached the semi-finals last year.
Djokovic, a long-time world No. 1, is in an even more precarious position. He is defending 2,000 ATP points from his previous US Open victory, which means he cannot gain any additional points this time around.
Failing to defend his title would result in a significant drop in his ranking. This situation opens the door for Alexander Zverev to potentially climb to No. 2, provided he performs well in New York. Zverev, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals last year, began his 2024 US Open campaign with a solid win and remains in contention, with a potential semi-final matchup against Djokovic on the horizon.
Tennis legend John McEnroe has highlighted the unpredictability of this year’s US Open, especially with Sinner’s recent struggles, Alcaraz’s exhaustive schedule, and Djokovic’s Olympic success.
McEnroe speculated that this could be the opportunity for Zverev or another underdog like Andrey Rublev to break through and claim their first Grand Slam title. Despite this, McEnroe admits that he would still lean towards one of the top three contenders—Sinner, Alcaraz, or Djokovic—to win the tournament.
