Carlos Alcaraz retains top spot, Djokovic slips to third

By IANS

NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain has returned to the top spot while Novak Djokovic slipped to third in the latest ATP Rankings released on Monday.

Before rising to the top spot in tennis rankings again, Alcaraz held the world No.1 ranking for 22 weeks with his 23rd week starting after the Italian Open.

Djokovic, who was at the top of the rankings heading into the Italian Open, dropped to his lowest position on the ATP Tour since January after a surprise quarterfinal loss.

Fresh off his win at the Italian Open, Daniil Medvedev, ascended to the 2nd spot in the rankings and is slated to be the second seed at the clay-court major. Medvedev fell out of the Top 10 in January and was as low as World No.12 in February. But the 27-year-old has surged since, winning titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami and now Rome.

The 20-time tour-level titlist will now set his sights on a return to World No. 1, a position he first reached last year and held for 16 weeks.

The 20-year-old Dane Holger Rune attained a new career-high ranking of six with his run to the final in the Italian capital. Andrey Rublev, however, dropped a spot down to seventh.

The rest of the top 10 feature Casper Ruud at 4, Stefanos Tsitispas at 5, Jannik Sinner at 8, Taylor Fritz at 9 and Felix Auger-Aliassime at 10.

In doubles, India’s Rohan Bopanna returned to the Top 10 after seven years. Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost in the second round in Rome but the Indian went up two spots to ninth.

Bopanna had also created a world record earlier this year — he became the oldest player ever to win an ATP Masters 1000 title when he won the ATP Indian Wells Masters partnering Matt Ebden.

<br /> NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain has returned to the top spot while Novak Djokovic slipped to third in the latest ATP Rankings released on Monday.</p> <p>Before rising to the top spot in tennis rankings again, Alcaraz held the world No.1 ranking for 22 weeks with his 23rd week starting after the Italian Open.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Djokovic, who was at the top of the rankings heading into the Italian Open, dropped to his lowest position on the ATP Tour since January after a surprise quarterfinal loss.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Fresh off his win at the Italian Open, Daniil Medvedev, ascended to the 2nd spot in the rankings and is slated to be the second seed at the clay-court major. Medvedev fell out of the Top 10 in January and was as low as World No.12 in February. But the 27-year-old has surged since, winning titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami and now Rome.</p> <p>The 20-time tour-level titlist will now set his sights on a return to World No. 1, a position he first reached last year and held for 16 weeks.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>The 20-year-old Dane Holger Rune attained a new career-high ranking of six with his run to the final in the Italian capital. Andrey Rublev, however, dropped a spot down to seventh.</p> <p>The rest of the top 10 feature Casper Ruud at 4, Stefanos Tsitispas at 5, Jannik Sinner at 8, Taylor Fritz at 9 and Felix Auger-Aliassime at 10.</p> <p>In doubles, India’s Rohan Bopanna returned to the Top 10 after seven years. Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost in the second round in Rome but the Indian went up two spots to ninth.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Bopanna had also created a world record earlier this year — he became the oldest player ever to win an ATP Masters 1000 title when he won the ATP Indian Wells Masters partnering Matt Ebden.<br />