Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic screaming
Novak Djokovic’s reign as the world No 1 in the ATP Rankings may be over for now, but he is knocking on the door of a return to the top of the alternative ranking list he endorses.
Jannik Sinner ended Djokovic’s reign as the world’s top ranked male player after his Australian Open win was backed up by additional success for the Italian in Rotterdam and Miami.
Yet Sinner’s momentum was halted by a hip injury that still appears to be troubling him ahead of his push to win his first US Open at Flushing Meadows.
That opened the door for Carlos Alcaraz to enjoy a glorious Europen summer as he swept to victory at the French Open and backed it up by winning a second Wimbledon title.
Despite those title triumphs for Alcaraz, Sinner has retained his place at the top of the ATP Rankings, but he has been demoted in the UTR Rankings that offer a more accurate snapshot of his current form.
The UTR rankings are calculated using a different method to the traditional ATP list, with the form and the ranking of your opponent taken into account when the final analysis is made.
So Alcaraz’s win against Sinner at the French Open and his stunning win against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final ensured he leapt to the top of the UTR Rankings, which have been endorsed by Djokovic.
Sinner remained in second place in the UTR list, but he has now dropped down to No 3 after Djokovic confirmed his class remains potent with his win against Alcaraz in the Olympics final.
Even though Sinner won the Cincinnati Masters last week, he didn’t need to beat Alcaraz or Djokovic to claim that title and it meant his UTR Ranking didn’t get a huge boost, leaving him third place in their updated list.
The method for calculating the UTR ratings differs greatly from the rolling ATP list, which ranks players based on the points they collect over 52 weeks.
Victories against higher-ranked played are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA ranking, meaning they offer up a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.
The UTR rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.
Djokovic’s position in the rankings is not the only talking point, with injured American star Jenson Brooksby still in the top ten of the UTR Rankings, while the fit-again Matteo Berrettini also makes an appearance in the top ten at No 7.
In-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti is in at No 10, with Andrey Rublev’s indifferent form in 2024 leading him to slide out of the top 20 of the UTR list.
Rafael Nadal is still at No 33 in the UTR Ratings, although it seems increasingly unlikely the Spanish legend will continue his career beyond next month’s Laver Cup as he has not entered any professional events after that date in Berlin.
The UTR Rankings could change again if Sinner wins his first US Open and there may be a chance Djokovic will return to the top of that list if he retains his title in New York.
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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)
