Carlos Alcaraz has returned to the roost…
The 20-year-old Spanish professional tennis player has replaced Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in Monday’s ATP rankings, earning the top seeding at the French Open.
Daniil Medvedev‘s Italian Open title moved him up to No. 2 ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.
Djokovic’s loss in the fourth round as the defending champion in Rome dropped him to No. 3. That means he and Alcaraz could end up in the same half of the Roland Garros bracket and be set up for a potential semifinal showdown, depending on what happens in Thursday’s draw in Paris.
The French Open, which begins Sunday, will mark the first chance to be seeded No. 1 at a major tournament for Alcaraz, who turned 20 this month. The Spanish player is 30-3 with four titles in 2023.
Alcaraz ascended to the ATP‘s top spot for the first time by winning the US Open last September and, at 19, became the youngest man to finish a year there.
But a leg injury kept him out of the Australian Open in January, when Djokovic won the title for his 22nd at a Slam event, tying Rafael Nadal for the men’s record.
Djokovic has spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone — man or woman — in the history of the sport’s computerized rankings.