Ruud, Tsitsipas, Nadal, Medvedev or Alcaraz: who will be world number one after the US Open?

An unstable and uncertain world hierarchy. At the start of the last Grand Slam tournament of the season, Daniil Medvedev is a disputed world number one. By Rafael Nadal, obviously, big favorite to finish the year at the top of the food chain but also by a battery of contenders who can hope to become king by crowning themselves at the US Open. Here is the list and the arguments of all the candidates.

Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz: Five men for the world number one spot

Credit: Marko Popovic

US Open

Nadal and Medvedev make their ranges in Flushing

2 HOURS AGO

Daniil Medvedev

Current ranking: 1st
Point at the start of the US Open: 4885 pts
Number of titles after the US Open 2021: 1 (Los Cabos)

A defending champion under pressure. This is how to sum up the position of Daniil Medvedev, winner in 2021 and at the top of the world hierarchy since June 2022, after a very brief interlude at the start of the season. When starting the defense of his New York crown, the Russian will have lost his place as world number one in favor of Rafael Nadal. It is obviously the Spaniard who will be his main opponent if he wants to keep his place.

For this, a solution: win the tournament if he does not want to be dependent on the results of the Spaniard. But, listening to him, Medvedev has already internalized the possibility of losing his status, especially in view of his 2022 season, started by a huge disappointment in the final in Melbourne and for the moment only crowned with a title, the Los Cabos ATP 250.

“Of course I’m watching the rankings and the battle for the world No. 1 spothe admitted at the beginning of the summer. But, unless I win all the remaining tournaments, I know that at the end of the year, it will probably be Rafa who will finish number one in the world.“. The fact remains that the costume pleases him despite a setback of the consequences to which he had to do, as he explained to us in The Players’ Voice : “On the circuit, the look on me changed with my Grand Slam title and the fact of having become number one. You’re a target, and that’s okay“. Even more in New York where he will defend his title and his throne. The battle could be epic.

Nadal and Medvedev make their ranges in Flushing

Rafael Nadal

Current ranking: 3rd
Points at the start of the US Open: 5630 pts
Number of titles since the US Open 2021: 4 including two Majors (Melbourne, Australian Open, Acapulco, Roland-Garros)

The real boss in 2022 is him. Victorious in the first two Grand Slam tournaments this season, consistently performing when he was physically able to appear on the courts, Rafael Nadal approaches the US Open as the logical favorite for a fifth title in Flushing. But also to end the year at the top of the food chain for the sixth time in his career (7 for Djokovic, 5 for Federer).

“Nadal is the favorite to end the season as world number one. I’d be surprised if he didn’t finish world number one“, even told us John McEnroe. There is reason: Nadal has a boulevard in front of him. Absent at the US Open 2021, he does not defend any points and will therefore start the competition in the shoes of virtual world number one, ahead of Alexander Zverev who will be absent.

For Nadal, the deal is simple: he is the only one to have his destiny in his hands. A qualification in the final (1200 points) would prevent all his rivals, except Medvedev, from hoping to occupy the throne. Of all the suitors, he is the best off. Perhaps also the most surprised. “The fight for the place of world No. 1? It’s a bygone era for me, unfortunately.“, he advanced last February. Not that much, finally…

“When Djokovic is not there, Nadal is even more favorite than usual”

Carlos Alcaraz

Current ranking: 4th
Points at the start of the US Open: 4740 pts
Titles since US Open 2021: 5 (ATP Next Gen, Rio, Miami, Barcelona, Madrid)

He returns to where everything accelerated. Last year, Flushing Meadows fell head over heels for Carlos Alcaraz, stopped in the quarter by an injury. Since then, the young prodigy has grown even more so that he was naturally cited among the favorites at Roland-Garros. His start to 2022 was exceptional, but since his elimination from Porte d’Auteuil, he has regained standards more in line with his young age.

More expected, less surprising for his opponents, Alcaraz still has to take a step forward if he wants to be able to take power, already, on the circuit. He too must reach at least the final to hope, possibly by beating Rafael Nadal in the semis in view of the US Open table. For him, the real challenge is elsewhere during this US Open: to prove that his normal growth crisis is already behind him.

“With Alcaraz, we don’t know if he will be consistent enough until the end of the seasonestimated Mats Wilander, Eurosport consultant. He had a fantastic clay-court season but recently it wasn’t at the same level. Perhaps this is the start of a few complicated months for him…“. If he were to finish world number one on September 13, the surprise would be great. And the event immense: he would become the youngest world number one since Lleyton Hewitt in November 2001.

More than 3 hours of struggle and Norrie had the last word: the summary of his victory against Alcaraz

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Current ranking: 5th
Points at the start of the US Open: 4845 pts
Titles since US Open 2021: 2 (Monte-Carlo and Mallorca)

Paradoxical Stefanos Tsitsipas. While his year 2022 remains well below expectations for the moment, the Greek could still finish at the top of the world hierarchy. His great merit will have been to play much more than all his competitors this year with nearly 62 matches on the clock before Flushing Meadows (74% of victories).

His disappointing US Open last year (eliminated in the third round by Alcaraz) offered him a golden opportunity to jump up the rankings. For him, the same need as for the others if he wants to believe in the place of world No. 1: aim for the final at least. His current form, with his final in Cincinnati in particular, places him among the outsiders.

For those who often monitor the ATP ranking, the place of world No. 1 in any case looks like a medium-term objective. “Rankings are there for a reasonhe advanced in 2021. They are important. I think for me the next big step would be the world number one spot that I hope to have one day.“. For that, he will probably have to finally take the step he lacks in the Grand Slam: winning the tournament.

A great standoff: the summary of Tsitsipas – Medvedev

Casper Ruud

Current ranking: 7th
Points at the start of the US Open: 4695 pts
Titles since US Open 2021: 3 (Geneva, Gstaad, Buenos Aires)

Unquestionably, it would be the biggest surprise of the year. Casper Ruud may be an excellent tennis player, who has managed to broaden his palette to the point of shining on hard courts (final in Miami), he was never programmed to be world number one unlike all the names mentioned above. . But his year 2022 makes him one of the pretenders to the throne despite everything.

Released in the second round last year, the Norwegian has the opportunity to strike a blow to become the first Norwegian world number one in history. But the task to get there will be… tough. It will be necessary, for him too, to reach the final at least and hope for early missteps from his rivals. Not most likely but not impossible…