Carlos Alcaraz is currently competing at the China Open as the Spaniard pushed for a year-end number 1 finish. Alcaraz is the top-seeded player at the tournament and is expected to win another title in what has been a successful season for the 20 year-old. Novak Djokovic has opted out of the tournament giving Alcaraz the perfect chance to close the gap on the number one ranked Serbian.
Carlos Alcaraz ended the year 2022 as the number one ranked player in the world thanks to his US Open triumph. The Spaniard will be keen to end the year as the number 1 again fending off Novak Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz chasing points at China Open
Carlos Alcaraz got off to the perfect start at the China Open with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann. This was Alcaraz’s first match after the US Open and the Spaniard started off slow before taking control of the match. The 20-year-old will potentially face Medvedev in the final of the tournament.
Speaking to the media after the game, Alcaraz spoke about the race for the number 1 ranking and agreed that Djokovic missing the tournament is a big plus for him. The Spaniard further added that he is confident of covering the points in the China tour by competing in Beijing and Shanghai.
“Yes, of course. I mean, right now I think Novak at this time defending some points. In the race, he’s like 700 or 800 points over me. Be able to play these two tournaments, and he’s not playing, so I have the opportunity to get back the No. 1 or be closer. That’s the point to these two tournaments, to be able to do well here in Beijing and Shanghai, hopefully to get back the No. 1.”
If Alcaraz performs well in both events, he has the chance to reduce the gap on Djokovic and even overtake him in the rankings. The Asian swing’s outcome could have a significant impact on the year-end No. 1 race.
The race to the year end number 1 ranking
Currently, Novak Djokovic is the top ranked player in the world, however the Serbian is not competing in the Asian swing, opening the door for Carlos Alcaraz to close the gap. The Serbian has a 600-700 points lead over Alcaraz thanks to his US Open victory and the Spaniard will have to win in Beijing and Shanghai to close the gap.
The Asian swing will prove to be very important to determine the year end number 1 rankings, as Alcaraz can win 1500 points in the two high profile tournaments. This will lead to Alcaraz closing the gap on Djokovic and setting up a grand stand finale to the tennis season. Although Djokovic is still the favorite to end the year at number 1, Alcaraz is trying his best to disrupt that.
After the Asian swing, the tennis season will head into it’s final with a few more tournaments that will decide the fate of Djokovic and Alcaraz. Even though there will be no more Grand Slams this year, the race to the year end number 1 ranking is keeping the fans involved.
