As Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month suspension following his positive doping tests earlier this year, the starting gun was fired on the race to replace him as world No 1.
Sinner has a huge advantage over his rivals in the rankings when news broke that he had opted to strike a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency to take a ban rather than face the threat of a one-year suspension if he took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Alexander Zverev was closest to Sinner in the rankings and there was a real chance the German could claim the world No 1 ranking for the first time in his career.
That was before his form fell off a cliff after his run to the Australian Open final in January, when he was taken apart by Sinner.
He opted to play clay court tournaments in South America after that and struggled to make an impact before lost early at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters.
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Zverev was asked whether the chase for the world No 1 spot was impacting his form and he made these comments last month.
“It was in the beginning. Now it’s less, because I’m just playing terrible,” he said.
“So for me, I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become World No 1, you have to win tournaments. I’m not
past getting first, second round at the moment. So I need to figure that out first.”
“I think I’m serving quite badly the last few weeks. My second serve is fine, but my first serve is terrible.
“From the back of the court I’m not playing great. It’s everything. You can’t really name one thing.”
Zverev’s latest setback as he lost against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the Madrid Masters added to his woes and there is more danger of his losing the No 2 ranking to Alcaraz than usurping Sinner at the top of the rankings.
Alcaraz has also been impacted by Sinner’s absence, as he was well beaten by Jack Draper in Indian Wells and then lost early in Miami.
His Monte Carlo Masters win was a stand-out week for the Spaniard, but he admits the chance to take Sinner’s top ranking has been on his mind.
“A lot of people are asking me, or are telling me, that I have the chance to become No 1 if Jannik is not playing,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion. “So probably that pressure has killed me in some way.
“I’m not surprised. The people always say that we have to win the tournaments or the top people have to be there all the time playing finals or winning tournaments.
“I’m just thinking that I’m not able to become No 1 in the clay season. Even if Jannik is not playing, I don’t have the chance to do it. I think I’m too far from Jannik.
“So I’m just here and I realise that I don’t have to think about it and just go there and play. That’s my mindset right now.”
The biggest winner from a curious three months in the men’s game appears to be the one player who has been banned from playing in the last four Masters 1000 tournaments.
Sinner will return to action in from of his home fans in Rome next month and they will be cheering him on and he looks to extend his dominant lead at the top of the ATP Rankings in what is left of the clay court season
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