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Another complicated week on the ATP Tour, with the updated rankings dated Sept. 30 – even though the “week” didn’t actually get completed until Carlos Alcaraz came back and won the China Open in Beijing over Jannik Sinner on Wednesday night.
Alcaraz bumps Alexander Zverev down to No. 3 with the victory, after which Sinner and Alcaraz got on a private jet together with their teams and headed to Shanghai.
Other great efforts this week included Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert in Tokyo.
And what of Brit Jacob Fearnley, who has won two straight top-class Challengers in France and leaps into the top 100 for the first time. And he’s just at the start of his pro carerer after coming out of the U.S. college system.
For the complete, updated ATP rankings official on Monday, click here.
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP): No. 3 ==========> No. 2 (With his dramatic victory over Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final, Alcaraz skips over the idle Alexander Zverev and back into the No. 2 spot).
Ugo Humbert (FRA): No. 19 ==========> No. 15 (Humbert made the final in Tokyo, edged out by friend and countryman Arthur Fils. Both guys went over to hug the opposite camps after the match, and it was all fabulous).
Ben Shelton (USA): No. 17 ==========> No. 16 (Shelton made the quarterfinals in Tokyo and very nearly pulled off a win against Arthur Fils. But despite that tough defeat, he moves up a spot and moves past Frances Tiafoe into the No. 3 spot for Americans).
Arthur Fils (FRA): No. 24 ==========> No. 21 (A marathon win over Shelton, and some cramping in his calf, didn’t put him into great shape as he faced Holger Rune in the Tokyo semis. But he got through that, and he pulled off another great escape against his friend Humbert to take the 500 Tokyo title).
Alex Michelsen (USA): No. 49 ==========> No. 43 (The 20-year-old went from the qualifying to the quarters in Tokyo, and moves up to a new career high).
Yunchaokete Bu (CHN): No. 96 ==========> No. 69 (Bu hits a career high after making the Beijing semifinals, and giving a great account of himself in a loss to Jannik Sinner. At just 22, he jumps into a future that is most bright for Chinese men’s tennis).
Jacob Fearnley (GBR): No. 126 ==========> No. 98 (The product of the U.S. college system leaps into the top 100 for the first tine after winning the Challenger in Orléans. It’s his second, after winning in Rennes the previous week. He has eight wins over French players in the last two weeks. He began the season at ranked No. 646, at a $25K ITF in Luxembourg, out of the TCU).
Alexander Ritschard (SUI): No. 121 ==========> No. 99 (Ritschard was at a career high last week, at age 30. This week, he moves into the top 100 for the first time in his career after winning the Lisbon Challenger. In a country that has a pretty serious tennis tradition, Ritschard is currently No. 1).
Mackenzie McDonald (USA): No. 172 ==========> No. 151 (McDonald is a lot better than his current ranking range; he has been a top-40 player in the past. So his effort in making the Nonthaburi Challenger final is a nice step and gets him back to where he was two weeks ago).
Kei Nishikori (JPN): No. 200 ==========> No. 153 (He came close to making the semifinals in Tokyo, too, with a match point before Holger Rune finally took care of him. Another great week and another big jump for the comebacking 34-year-old, who beat Mariano Navone in three sets in the first round in Shanghai).
Edas Butvilas (LTU): No. 365 ==========> No. 261 (Butvilas, 20, wins the Charleston Challenger after getting into the main draw as a lucky loser. A year ago, he was at No. 532. The 21-year-old was a junior doubles champion at Wimbledon three years ago. And with Ricardas Berankis the only player of note from his country in the sport’s history, he’s poised to carry the torch).
Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG): No. 1083 ==========> No. 824 (The former world No. 50 is back on the comeback trail at 31, and he moves up a ton after making the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Antofagasta, Chile. He’ll play another in Buenos Aires this week. It was only his second tournament of the season. And he returned without a ranking. He had been out just over a year; but even in 2023, his play was sparse: a couple of Challengers in January, two in June and one in September (where he withdrew before his second-round match).
Alexander Zverev (GER): No. 2 ==========> No. 3 (Zverev didn’t play in Beijing, and so drops points, which allows champion Alcaraz to jump past him).
Sebastian Korda (USA): No. 16 ==========> No. 19 (Another injury for Korda, who was idle last week and will miss Shanghai this week as well. He hasn’t played since the US Open).
Adrian Mannarino (FRA): No. 44 ==========> No. 53 (Mannarino slips out of the top 50 again after he lost in the second round in Beijing. A year ago, he won the ATP 250 in Astana the same week, over Korda in the final. On Wednesday, he lost his opener in Shanghai to qualifier Zachary Svajda, so that’s a few more points off in two weeks because he made the third round a year ago).
Sebastian Ofner (AUT): No. 58 ==========> No. 70 (Ofner has been off the tour since losing in the first round of the US Open, and will miss Shanghai as well. He drops points from making the Astana semifinals a year ago, beating Fucsovics, Bublik and Thiem on the way).
Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG): No. 97 ==========> No. 124 (Tirante is playing Challengers in Portugal. But he lost in the Lisbon quarterfinals, not defending his points from winning the Bogota Challenger a year ago. He’ll have to hustle to make the main draw at the Australian Open).
Abdullah Shelbayh (JOR): No. 189 ==========> No. 239 (Still just 20, the Jordanian was kind of a thing awhile back. But he’s slipped down and with his second-round loss at the Charleston Challenger to Canadian Alexis Galarneau, he slips out of the top 200 after dropping points from winning it a year ago. He’ll try again in Tiburon this week).
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