–

The Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo could have moved Denmark’s Holger Rune to No. 6 in the world Monday – if he could win it.

He looked on his way. And then Andrey Rublev found … something, and Rune lost … something. And the Russian wins his first career Masters 1000 title.

Still, Rune move sup to a career best No. 7, with Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, who didn’t play Monte Carlo last week, dropping down two spots to No. 9.

(For the full, updated ATP Tour rankings picture, click here).

WTA Rankings Report – As of April 17, 2023

ON THE UPSWING

Casper Ruud (NOR: No. 4 ========> No. 3 (Ruud loses in the third round, but moves up because Tsitsipas drops)

Daniil Medvedev (RUS): No. 5 ========> No. 4 (Same for Medvedev, who reached the quarterfinals, but inches up a spot).

Holger Rune (DEN): No. 9 ========> No. 7 (He had the Monte Carlo title in his pocket, until he didn’t. Still, the Dane moves to a career high No. 7 before his 20th birthday).

Nick Kyrgios (AUS): No. 27 ========> No. 24 (Out with injury, the Aussie moves up three spots anyway, but mostly because of what others didn’t do in a very tight section of the rankings).

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP): No. 29 ========> No. 25 (Bautista Agut moves back into the top 25 after a third-round result in Monte Carlo).

Jiri Lehecka (CZE): No. 42 ========> No. 36 (Lehecka, just 21, is only about 130 points out of a sure seeded spot at this year’s Roland Garros, with some time to make it).

Ilya Ivashka (BLR): No. 74========> No. 61 (The 29-year-old from Belarus moves up after qualifying and making the second round in Monte Carlo).

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER): No. 100 ========> No. 64 (Struff cuts a third out of his ranking as he returns from injury; he qualified and had a great run to the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion Andrey Rublev).

Alexei Popyrin (AUS): No. 94 ========> No. 81 (Popyrun qualified and won a round in Monte Carlo).

Daniel Altmaier (GER): No. 113 ========> No. 93 (The 24-year-old German won the Sarasota Challenger and – just in time for Monday’s Roland Garros main-draw deadline, squeezes in and guarantees himself a spot).

Alexander Shevchenko (RUS): No. 107 ========> No. 98 (The 22-year-old, who appears to be dating WTA player Anastasia Potapova these days, wins the Madrid Challenger and moves into the top 100 for the first time in his career – and just in time for a main-draw spot in Paris).

Dominic Thiem (AUT): No. 106 ========> No. 101 (It will feel great for Thiem to get straight into Paris, which he may have done by winning a round in Monte Carlo. He’s just seven points out of the top 100).

Zsombor Piros (HUN): No. 167 ========> No. 134 (The 23-year-old from Hungary, a former world No. 3 junior in 2017 and the 2017 Australian Open junior champion in, we’ll grant you, not a hugely spectactular junior era, wins the Split Challenger and moves up to a career high).

Ivan Gakhov (RUS): No. 198 ========> No. 162 (The not-well-known Russian, 26, moves to a career high after qualifying and winning a round in Monte Carlo. He showed well in defeat against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic).

Gabriel Diallo (CAN): No. 178 ========> No. 167 (The young Canadian moves to another career high, after making the Sarasota Challenger quarterfinals. But he retired in that match, and has been struggling with his health this winter and spring).

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA): No. 299 ========> No. 229 (The very tall 19-year-old Frenchman qualified at the Leon Challenger and wins it, moving up nearly 70 spots to a career high).

ON THE DOWNSWING

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE): No. 3 ========> No. 5 (With 820 net points lost after a quarterfinal defeat, the defending Monte Carlo champion drops to No. 5 in the rankings this week).

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN): No. 7 ========> No. 9 (Auger-Aliassime took the Monte Carlo week off to rest a knee, but he likely would have dropped at least a spot anyway. As it is, he’s still in the top 10).

Hubert Hurkacz (POL) No. 13 ========> No. 15 (Hurkacz had an eventful comeback week on a couple of occasions, but in the end fell in the round of 16).

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL): No. 25 ========> No. 31 (Dimitrov loses in the second round, after going to the Monte Carlo semifinals in 2022, and drops out of the top 30).

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP): No. 24 ========> No. 38 (The Spaniard still has time to make a move, but after losing in the first round of Monte Carlo, he drops all the points earned from his final a year ago).

Diego Schwartzman (ARG): No. 37 ========> No. 48 (The 30-year-old’s struggles are starting to show up in his ranking, after he lost in the second round of Monte Carlo and drops his 2022 quarterfinal points. He hasn’t been this low since Feb. 2017).

David Goffin (BEL): No. 85 ========> No. 99 (He’ll probably still squeeze into Paris, but a first-round exit in Monte Carlo barely keeps him in the top 100).

Fabio Fognini (ITA): No. 97 ========> No. 103 (Fognini is out of the top 100 for the first time in exactly 14 years – since April 13, 2009, after which he jumped into the top 100 and never left.. He was on hand to watch in Monte Carlo, after losing to his Italian contemporary Marco Cecchinato in the second round of Estoril. But the former Roland Garros quarterfinalist might be a tight squeeze to get in this year. He also pulled out of Banja Luka this week).

Jack Sock (USA): No. 166 ========> No. 173 (Sock, now 30, has half a leg in pickleball these days. Still, it can’t feel great to lose in the first round of the Sarasota Challenger to a kid who was ranked No. 1497 last week. Actually, tied for No. 1497. He’s only played five tournaments in 2023, and hasn’t left the U.S.).

Steve Johnson (USA): No. 149 ========> No. 183 (The 33-year-old, once the No. 21 player in the world, isn’t playing that much and isn’t winning a lot when he does. Like Sock, he’s barely left “home” – all of his tournaments have been in the U.S. except for a quick, two-tournament swing in Monterry and Acapulco, Mexico).

Ernesto Escobedo (MEX): No. 356 ========> No. 391 (The American switched to playing for Mexico this year. But it’s not like that much great has happened in the interim; Escobedo’s career high in singles was No. 67. He hasn’t played since making his “Mexican” debut in Monterrey and at the Acapulco 500 in late February).

Lucas Pouille (FRA): No. 458 ========> No. 486 (Pouille, now 29, was in the top 10 for a hot minute a few years ago. But he’s since struggled with his mental health. And after losing in the final round of Sarasota Challenger qualifying – he, like Sock, lost to No. 1497 – he drops the points he earned a year ago and is headed in the wrong direction).