Tennis365 rankings suggest current ATP list has a few names out of place
The ATP rankings have been in a state of flux over the last year, with a variety of factors serving up an unrealistic view of the men at the top of the game.
The decision to strip ranking points from Wimbledon last year ensured a host of players were denied a chance to claim points that should have been theirs.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s ban from playing in North America due to his decision not to take a Covid vaccine ensured the Serbian missed out on the chance to compete for thousands of ranking points.
Now the rankings should be showing a more balanced view of the game, with Carlos Alcaraz’s win at Wimbledon confirming his status as the world No 1.
Yet there are some players in the ATP’s top ten who are fortunate to still be included in that list.
Here are our unofficial rankings, with statistics from the ATP Tour from the last 52-weeks added into the mix to give us our updated list:
1. Carlos Alcaraz
The undisputed world No 1 after his win over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, Alcaraz has six titles in 2023 so far and has lost just four matches from his 51 played this year. That makes him the outstanding player of the year so far.
2. Novak Djokovic
The Serbian legend may have been knocked off his perch at the top of the world rankings by Alcaraz, but his statistics for 2023 still make for impressive reading. He has notched up 33 wins from 35 matches and has three titles on his record this year, including the Australian Open and French Open.
3. Daniil Medvedev
The Russian star was comprehensively beaten by Alcaraz at Wimbledon, as the Spaniard highlighted the gulf in class between the game’s best and the chasing pack. Medvedev deserves a lofty rating in our Tennis365 rankings after winning five titles in 2023, winning 46 matches so far.
4. Nick Kyrgois
The first controversial selection in our top ten is Aussie maverick Kyrgois. He may have made more noise on social media in 2023 than on the court, but the statistics for the last 52-weeks confirm he is leading server and most impressive performer under pressure on tour right now. He is in 3rd place on the ATP 52-week index and when he returns to action after a series of injuries, the game’s top stars will relish a clash with Kyrgois and that is why is one of the top players in the game.
5. Holger Rune
Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas sit at No 4 and No 5 in the current ATP rankings, but would the threaten Alcaraz or Djokovic on the biggest stages? Rune has proved he can mix it with the ‘big two’ following his win at last year’s Paris Masters and he will be a threat in the upcoming US hard court swing.
6. Jannik Sinner
Currently No 8 in the ATP rankings, this Italian is promoted to No 6 in our list. He has troubled Alcaraz and Djokovic over the last year and when he is on fire, he has a power-packed game that can threaten anyone. The Miami Open runner-up from last March should thrive on US hard courts in the coming weeks.
7. Alexander Zverev
This German has been showing real signs that he is getting back to his best and his win in Hamburg last weekend cemented his return to the top. With his serving issues appearing to be solved, Zverev looks ready to make a return to the top 10 of the ATP list and he is already in our Tennis365 elite list.
8. Andrey Rublev
A player who had the fighting qualities to test the resolve of all opponents. He tends to come up short against the game’s ultimate champions, but Rublev has 40 wins in 2023 and two titles, including the Monte-Carlo Masters title.
9. Hubert Hurkacz
Another surprise entry in our unofficial rankings, yet this big-serving Pole justifies his status. He gave Djokovic real problems in their clash at Wimbledon, with the Serb suggesting after the match that his rival has the best serve in the game. Hurkacz is rated at No 2 behind Kyrgois in the serving stats over the last 52 weeks and he is a handful for anyone when his biggest weapon is firing.
10. Frances Tiafoe
This exuberant American has some big ranking points to defend after his run to the US Open semi-finals last year, but he looks well-placed to make his mark after winning two titles in 2023. Tiafoe ranks at No 7 on serving stats for the last 52 weeks and justifies his place in our top ten.
MISSING OUT
Stefanos Tsitsipas is fortunate to still be in the ATP’s top ten after a disappointing run that has seen him win no titles in over a year. The Greek star needs to find his mojo quickly, as he is making more headlines for his relationship with Paula Badosa than as a tennis player these days.
America’s Taylor Fritz is another player on the slide, while we have also omitted current world No 4 Casper Ruud from our top ten list as his inability to get over the winning line in big events has been evident over the last year. His defeat at Wimbledon to Britain’s Liam Broady was another blow to his reputation.
Britain’s Cameron Norrie is another player who has lost his way in 2023 and unless he snaps back into form quickly, his days as a top ten player in any list may be behind him.
The in-form Chris Eubanks could also be pressing for a place in our top ten on current form when these ranking are re-assessed at the start of next month.
