Jannik Sinner confirms year-end World No. 1 ranking for the first time after Carlos Alcaraz’s Shanghai Masters 2024 exit

In a year filled with several career milestones, Jannik Sinner is assured of another one after Carlos Alcaraz's quarterfinal exit at the 2024 Shanghai Masters. The Spaniard was upset at the Masters 1000 tournament in China on October 10.

Alcaraz faced Tomas Machac in the last-eight clash and was outplayed by the Czech star. Coming into the contest, the Spaniard was on a 12-match winning streak, including the 2024 China Open title. However, he met his match in the form of Machac, who struck 31 winners and kept Alcaraz's dominating game style at bay to emerge victorious 7-6(5), 7-5.

With the win, Machac qualified for his maiden Masters 1000 semifinals. The result also confirmed that Jannik Sinner would stay the World No. 1 at the end of the year for the first time in his career. Sinner has also reached the semifinals in Shanghai after he beat Daniil Medvedev, and will face Machac for a place in the title contest.

Jannik Sinner will have at least 11,320 ATP ranking points after reaching the Shanghai Masters semifinals, and if he wins the tournament, the Italian is set to reach 11,920 points. Meanwhile, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will have 7,120 ATP ranking points after the Shanghai Masters.

Masters 1000 in Paris and the ATP Finals in Turin (which offers 1,500 points) are the last two big tournaments left in the 2024 ATP calendar. Even if either Alcaraz or World No. 3 Alexander Zverev win both tournaments, they would not muster enough points to dethrone Sinner at the top of the rankings.

Jannik Sinner will be the 19th player to finish as the year-end World No. 1 of ATP ranking. Carlos Alcaraz achieved the feat in 2022. Novak Djokovic holds the record for most year-end World No. 1 finishes with eight (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023).

Jannik Sinner has won six titles so far in 2024

Jannik Sinner at 2024 US Open (Source: Getty)

By far, Jannik Sinner has been the most successful player on the 2024 ATP Tour and the tennis world at large. With six titles under his belt so far this year, the only player close to Sinner in the title list is WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek with five and Carlos Alcaraz with four.

The Italian began the 2024 ATP Tour with his maiden Grand Slam accolade at the Australian Open. He then picked up the ATP 500 title on the indoor hardcourt of the ABM AMRO Open in Rotterdam and the Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open. The 23-year-old went trophyless during the clay court swing but returned to the winners' circle with a triumph at the ATP 500 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.

After skipping the Paris Olympics, Sinner won his third Masters 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open and his second Grand Slam at the US Open. He can add more silverware to his trophy cabinet, with possible success at the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters, and ATP Finals.