Sinner’s Path to World No. 1 Awaits After Alcaraz’s Unexpected Exit in Paris
Jannik Sinner’s remarkable 65-week debut reign as World No. 1 wrapped up following the US Open.
Date: October 28, 2025
Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
A potential return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings awaits Jannik Sinner if he secures victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week in Paris.
Reported by ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner’s pursuit to dethrone Carlos Alcaraz as World No. 1 sharpened on Tuesday following the Spaniard’s surprising three-set defeat to Cameron Norrie at the Rolex Paris Masters.
With this turn of events, the Italian’s path is clear; he is ensured a return to the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday if he claims the ATP Masters 1000 title taking place for the first time this year at La Défense Arena.
Sinner’s initial reign of 65 weeks at World No. 1 concluded after the US Open, where a loss to Alcaraz in the final propelled the six-time Grand Slam champion back to the top position.
If Sinner claims victory in Paris for the first time, he will briefly reclaim the World No. 1 title before passing it back to Alcaraz ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals, where he will forfeit the 1500 points he earned from last year’s title on home turf.
Alcaraz’s surprising defeat to Norrie, which halted his impressive 17-match winning streak at Masters 1000 events, significantly influences the race for the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF, especially if Sinner secures the Paris title and successfully defends his championship in Turin.
A victory in Paris would narrow the gap to just 1,050 points behind Alcaraz in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. Neither player is set to compete the week leading to the season finale, thus if Sinner emerges as an unbeaten champion at the Inalpi Arena for the second year in a row, Alcaraz would need to collect 450 points at the Nitto ATP Finals to retain the No. 1 position.
In this scenario, Alcaraz would need to reach the final with at least one win during the group stages or go undefeated throughout the group play.
Sinner, who recently clinched his 22nd title in Vienna, starts his quest for his inaugural Paris crown on Wednesday against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.
