Alcaraz’s dream accomplished: Reclaiming No. 1 was ‘everything (he was) working for’
“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing” said Carlos Alcaraz after his win at the US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, US Open 2025 | © Antoine Couvercelle for MTG
Forget what they say about rankings. Most tennis players claim trophies matter more than their spot on the ladder. But just an hour after winning his second US Open and sixth major title, Carlos Alcaraz admitted the chase for the top spot was far from a trivial pursuit. For him, reclaiming the No. 1 ranking from rival Jannik Sinner was a clear goal that made his victory “even better”.
“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” Alcaraz said to the international media. He explained that since he got the chance to be number one again, it became one of his main goals to either get the ranking back as soon as possible or end the year as the top-ranked player.
Alcaraz : “A dream”
“For me, achieving that once again, it is a dream. Doing it the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better,” he shared. He called it “everything I’m working for” and expressed his happiness at being able to “live these experiences”.
With 11,540 points (a gain of 1,950 points after his second-round loss last year), Alcaraz doesn’t have a big margin on Sinner, who is now at 10,780 points (a loss of 700 points after his win in 2024). This promises an intense race to end the year as No. 1.
This was a major shift in mindset. A few years ago, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero stated that being No. 1 was not an “obsession” for the young Alcaraz and that the focus was on staying healthy and winning tournaments.
Pressure on Sinner
Alcaraz’s performance at the US Open, where he dropped only a single set in the last match, was a testament to his renewed focus and determination. While he will try to “keep the number one as much as I can” for the rest of the year, he acknowledged the difficulty of the task.
In the short term, pressure is on Jannik Sinner, who has 2,830 points to defend versus only 1,000 for Alcaraz. Sinner won the ATP Finals and the Shanghai Masters 1000 in 2024, alongside his final in Beijing, while the Spaniard, despite winning an unbelievable final in Beijing last year, has only 200 points to defend in Shanghai, at the ATP Finals, and 100 at the Paris Masters. If you include the Melbourne Summer Series and the Australian Open, Sinner has 4,830 points to protect, while Alcaraz has 1,400. Next week will be his 31st week at the top of the rankings, and it won’t be his last.
