Jannik Sinner‘s inability to compete on the ATP Tour has not stopped him from spending an impressive number of weeks at No. 1.
Sinner has been the world No. 1 since the end of the 2024 French Open, having overtaken Novak Djokovic at the top. This followed a strong start to 2024, which included winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
The Italian built a formidable lead by securing additional titles at the 2024 US Open, 2024 ATP Finals, 2024 Cincinnati Open, and 2024 Shanghai Masters. The 23-year-old then retained his Australian Open title in January, ensuring he has won the last three hardcourt Grand Slams.
Sinner is suspended until May 4th after testing positive for clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, a situation attributed to accidental contamination by his physiotherapist.
The three-time Grand Slam champion was slated to appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the World Anti-Doping Agency and Sinner’s team settled the case, despite the player’s initial hesitation as he felt innocent.
Sinner’s suspension, which began on February 9th, does not affect his weeks at No. 1, allowing him to achieve an outstanding 40 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
He is now tied with Ilie Nastase for the 15th most consecutive weeks at No. 1, and will surpass him when the rankings are next released, as no player can mathematically exceed his position following the 2025 Indian Wells Open.
Sinner will equal Andy Murray’s weeks at No. 1 when the new rankings are published. The Briton, currently Novak Djokovic’s coach, spent 41 weeks at the summit during his illustrious career.
Murray would have spent much more time at No. 1 had it not been for the presence of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Djokovic is the only player from that trio still competing, but he has been facing a challenging period, including a shock loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in Indian Wells.
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, could overtake Sinner at No. 1 before the Italian returns to tennis, with Zverev previously positioned to close the gap in his recent tournaments.
However, the German’s form has slipped at a crucial moment, as he did not progress past the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open, Rio Open, or Mexican Open, then lost his opening match in Indian Wells to Marcelo Melo.
Alcaraz’s prospects of overtaking Sinner will largely depend on his performance in Indian Wells as the two-time defending champion, as he likely cannot afford to drop many points by losing early.
Despite the controversy surrounding Sinner due to his doping case, the achievement of reaching so many weeks at No. 1 stands firm. He and his team deserve significant credit for their outstanding results since the beginning of 2024.
