Carlos Alcaraz is 8th man to miss out on ATP year-end No 1 after winning two Grand Slams in a season

Ewan West
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz has won two Grand Slam titles during an excellent campaign to date, but he will not end 2024 as the ATP year-end No 1.

Jannik Sinner ensured he would end the season top of the ATP Rankings during his run to the Shanghai Masters last week.

Here, we look at the nine times players have missed out on the ATP year-end No 1 ranking after winning two Grand Slam titles in a season.

Guillermo Vilas – 1977

Guillermo Vilas, who peaked at a career-high of No 2 in the ATP Rankings, won an incredible 16 tournaments in 1977, including the French Open and the US Open.

Jimmy Connors beat the Argentine to the year-end world No 1 position despite not securing a major, with the American winning eight titles and finishing as a runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Bjorn Borg – 1978

Bjorn Borg’s eight titles in 1978, which include the French Open and Wimbledon, were not enough to see him finish the season on top of the Rankings.

Connors again finished No 1 ahead of a player who won two Grand Slams in the season, having won the US Open and 10 titles in total.

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Jimmy Connors – 1982

In 1982, Connors claimed the Wimbledon and US Open crowns, as well as five other titles, but his rival John McEnroe was the ATP year-end No 1.

McEnroe did not win a Grand Slam title in 1982, but he triumphed at five tournaments and was a runner-up at Wimbledon.

Boris Becker – 1989

Boris Becker’s haul of five titles in 1989 featured victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, but the German finished the season second behind Ivan Lendl.

Lendl won 10 tournaments that year, the first of which was the Australian Open, while he was also a finalist at the US Open.

Novak Djokovic – 2016 and 2019

Novak Djokovic was beaten to the 2016 year-end No 1 ranking by Andy Murray despite winning seven titles, including the Australian Open and French Open.

Wimbledon was one of eight tournaments Murray won that offered ranking points, while the Brit was a runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

In 2019, Djokovic’s haul of five titles, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon, could not stop Rafael Nadal from ending the year in top spot.

Nadal’s four tournament wins featured the French Open and the US Open, while he was also an Australian Open finalist.

Roger Federer – 2017

Roger Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon — as well as five other events — in 2017, but he was denied the season-ending No 1 ranking by Nadal.

The Spaniard’s six tournament victories that year include Roland Garros and the US Open, while he was a runner-up at the Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal – 2022

In 2022, Nadal’s four titles, which featured the Australian Open and the French Open, could not prevent Carlos Alcaraz ending the season in top spot.

Alcaraz secured the US Open crown, as well as four other titles.

Carlos Alcaraz – 2024

So far this year, Alcaraz has won four tournaments, including the French Open and Wimbledon, but Jannik Sinner has clinched the year-end No 1 spot.

Sinner has secured the Australian Open and the US Open among his seven titles to date in 2024.

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