Sinner: Alcaraz is number 1 this year

Speaking at the press conference after defeating Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match of the Paris Masters, Sinner said he did not care about the race for number one position because the hope was very slim.

"Maybe it will be a story of next year ", the Italian tennis player expressed on October 29. "This year that position is not in my hands. Alcaraz has been excellent since the beginning of the year and he has the right to decide for himself ".

Alcaraz suddenly and shockingly lost to Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Paris Masters, leading to a deduction of 90 points. Meanwhile, Sinner can earn the full 1,000 points if he wins the final Masters 1000 event of the year. In that case, the Italian player will regain the world number one position by a few dozen points ahead of his rival.

However, the difficulty for Sinner is having to defend the ATP Finals title, where Alcaraz only defends 200 points. The Spanish tennis player will definitely stay number one in the world if he wins three matches at the ATP Finals, regardless of Sinner's results at the Paris Masters.

"Like every year, I want to end the season as best as possible ", Sinner added. "I'm satisfied with what I've done this year. December is very important to think and prepare for next season. That's my only concern. "

Despite a three-month ban, Sinner is still the most successful tennis player this season, winning 48 out of 54 matches, winning four titles, including two Grand Slams. In which he made a breakthrough when he reached the final of Roland Garros and won Wimbledon, on courts that were not his forte.

Sinner's hard-court performance remains stable, with a runner-up position at the US Open and two recent titles in Beijing and Vienna. "There are still areas to improve and I will try to handle that during the off-season, " said the 23-year-old tennis player. He aims to successfully defend the Australian Open title in January 2026 and conquer other milestones in his career.

After 6 years on the ATP Tour, Sinner has 22 titles, including 4 Grand Slams, and has been number one in the world for 65 weeks.. His next match is against Francesco Cerundolo, in the third round of the Paris Masters, scheduled at 1:00 a.m. on October 31, Hanoi time.