Alcaraz at major risk ahead of US Open 2023 as Djokovic Cincinnati Open loss causes seismic shift in battle for No. 1
Djokovic only needs to win his opening-round clash at the Flushing Meadows to return to the top spot in ATP Live Rankings, leaving Alcaraz in a risky position.
Carlos Alcaraz had two battles to fight at the Cincinnati Open. Having suffered a shock early exit in Toronto in Canadian Open, Alcaraz had to at least reach the final to retain his world No. 1 ranking, but also had to gear up for a familiar force in Novak Djokovic, who was playing his first tournament since that Wimbledon final. The 20-year-old did better his better in Ohio from last year to reach the final, hence guaranteeing himself the ATP ranking crown as he now heads to US Open 2023, but his loss to Djokovic in the epic final on Sunday places him at a position of major risk.
Alcaraz's loss in the intense three-setter tie, that lasted a record 3 hours and 49 minutes, left the Spaniard only 20 points ahead of Djokovic (9815 against 9795) as per the ATP Live Rankings. And with the two-time major winner having to defend 2000 points in the final Grand Slam of the calendar year by virtue of being the defending champion, compared to none for Djokovic, who did not play the tournament last year, the 36-year-old stands as the overwhelming favourite to leave New York as the top-ranked player once again.
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What if…
The Serb only needs to win his opening-round clash at the Flushing Meadows to return to the top spot in ATP Live Rankings, leaving Alcaraz in a risky position. And it all boiled down to that one sloppy service game that Alcaraz played after going a set and 4-2 up in the final of the Cincinnati Open.
Had Alcaraz successfully held his serve twice in a row, he would have left Linder Family Tennis Centre in Ohio with 820 points clear at the top spot in ATP rankings chart. That would have implied that Djokovic had to at least reach the final to be guaranteed of a return to World No. 1. But with Djokovic storming right back in, breaking Alcaraz at 4-4 and then holding his nerve twice in the successive tie-breaks, he did not claim his record-extending 39th Masters 1000 title, but it led to a major shift in the battl for world No.1 tilting 800 points in the Serb's favour.
