Djokovic needs to reach Roland-Garros semi-final to prevent Sinner from toppling him as world No 1 – updated with Djokovic entering Geneva

Djokovic’s entry into the Geneva Open has changed the rankings battle for the world No 1 spot at the end of the French Open

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, Davis Cup 2023 Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

May 23, 2024

Novak Djokovic’s early exit at the Rome Masters has opened up the door for Italy’s Jannik Sinner to replace the Serb at the top of the world rankings by the end of the French Open.

However, the Serb’s decision to play in Geneva this week could help him in his quest to retain the world No 1 ranking. If Djokovic wins the title in Geneva, he will then need to ensure that he reaches the semi-finals in Paris to avoid the Italian from becoming world No 1.

The Serb could end up with 10,110 points if he wins Geneva but given that he is the defending champion, he will drop 2,000 points in the live rankings race when Roland-Garros starts.

Sinner will begin the French Open with 8,725 points in the live race (defending only second round points from last year) and even if the Italian does not play in Paris, he will become No 1 if Djokovic fails to make the semi-finals.

Here are some other possible scenarios for the No 1 spot

If Djokovic reaches the final in Geneva, he will need to win the title in Paris to ensure that he retains the No 1 spot
If Djokovic loses in the Geneva final but beats Sinner in the Roland Garros final, both players will have 10,025 points, but the Serb would win the tiebreak as he has earned more points over the past 52 weeks at the Grand Slams, Masters 1000 and ATP Finals.

There ae other scenarios also possible depending on how Djokovic fares this week in Geneva. If Sinner does ascend to the top of the rankings would make him the first Italian player to become world No 1 in men’s tennis.