ATP Race to Turin after Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic breaks into the Top 8 after making final, Daniil Medvedev on the verge of qualifying
As the 2024 tennis season is in its last phase with only a handful of events remaining on the ATP calendar, players are jostling for positions to stay in the top eight ATP Race rankings to qualify for the year-ending championships in November. After the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, the race rankings have seen some changes.
The most significant movement on the rankings has been that of former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The Serbian had an excellent run in Shanghai, beating the likes of Alex Micheslen, Flavio Cobolli, Roman Safiullin, Jakub Mensik, and Taylor Fritz to reach the final in a bid to win his 100th career title. However, the Serbian fell short in the final against Jannik Sinner, losing 6-7 (4), 3-6.
Reaching the finals helped the World No. 4 secure 650 points, jump from the ninth spot on the race rankings, and reach the sixth position with 3910 points. This has caused players like Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Minaur to slip down one position each to 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively.
Daniil Medvedev is on the verge of qualifying for the year-ending championships, occupying the fourth spot in the Race rankings. The Russian player reached the quarter-final of the Shanghai Masters, losing to Sinner 1-6, 4-6. The World No 5. earned 200 points, taking his tally to 4820 points, which is just 275 points shy of the 5095-point cutoff for qualification.
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev are the Top 3 in the ATP Race rankings
The Top 3 of the ATP race rankings are occupied by the top three ranked players of the world, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev. These three players have also ensured their qualification for the year-ending Championships.
With his seventh title win in 2024 at the Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner is miles ahead of everyone else with 10,330 points. The Italian has been the player to beat on the ATP circuit this year and has a phenomenal record of 65-6 in the season.
Carlos Alcaraz won four titles in the season, the last of which came at the China Open, where he overcame Sinner in an epic three-set final. The Spaniard has accumulated 6710 points this season while having a 51-10 record on the Tour this year.
Alexander Zverev is the other player who has qualified for the ATP Finals. The German won a solitary title in Rome this year and reached two other finals, amassing 6215 points with a 59-19 record. The World No. 3 is a two-time champion at the ATP Finals, having won the title in 2018 and 2021.