Novak Djokovic has cemented his position at the top spot in the world rankings after World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz endured a 1-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), and 4-6 loss to sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals in the Australian Open quarter-final on Wednesday.
Carlos Alcaraz relinquished his top spot after the defeat; Djokovic likely to remain at top
Djokovic is currently the favorite to win a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne. The Serb had a tough start to his campaign but he played with conviction. The 36-year-old’s quarterfinal victory over Taylor Fritz, in particular, dispelled any doubts about him being out of his element Down Under. He will take on his rival Jannik Sinner in a huge semifinal clash at the Australian Open on Friday, January 26. In the past, they have locked horns six times on the ATP Tour so far, with the Serb having 4-2 advantage.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, had a decent start to the Australian Open, dropping just one set on his way to the final eight. But on Wednesday, the 20-year-old was unprepared for the brilliant display of sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev, falling to the German in four arduous sets.
Carlos Alcaraz’s defeat prevented him from finishing the two weeks as the top-ranked ATP player. Having 8,855 ranking points at the moment, the Spaniard has the potential to surpass Novak Djokovic as the world’s top player if he wins the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Alcaraz had no points to defend in Melbourne, as he missed last year’s campaign due to a right leg injury. Novak Djokovic also dropped 2,000 of his 11,055 ATP ranking points as the defending champion before this week, but that isn’t a concern for him.
Djokovic is likely to top the rankings till February 19 and it will bring his weeks at No. 1 tally to 412 weeks. The 20-year-old Spaniard, meanwhile, is defending ATP points in the post-Australian Open swing. This indicates that he is unlikely to secure the top spot from the 24-time Major winner anytime soon.
