Alcaraz back on tennis’ throne: Relive the Spaniard’s stints at No. 1

No 1 Club

Alcaraz back on tennis’ throne: Relive the Spaniard’s stints at No. 1

The 22-year-old returns to top spot following two-year wait

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On 8 September, Carlos Alcaraz began his fifth stint as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. By ATP Staff

At the ripe age of 19, Carlos Alcaraz was on top of the tennis world. He won his first major title at the 2022 US Open to become the youngest World No. 1 (19 years, four months) in PIF ATP Rankings history. Alcaraz would then enjoy four stints, two of which came before the Spaniard's 20th birthday, atop the PIF ATP Rankings across 12 months.

When Novak Djokovic captured his 24th major trophy at the 2023 US Open to reclaim No. 1 honours, little did Alcaraz know he would have to wait two years to return to the top spot.

First stint: 12 September, 2022 to 29 January, 2023 (20 weeks)

Alcaraz’s debut reign lasted 20 weeks, from the end of the 2022 US Open to the conclusion of the 2023 Australian Open. He defeated Casper Ruud at Flushing Meadows in a high-stakes, double-prize final. The winner of that championship match would not only lift a major trophy for the first time, but also become World No. 1 the next day.

Alcaraz finished that season by claiming ATP No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Although, he spent part of his first stint sidelined due to injury. He suffered an oblique tear that kept him from competing at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, followed by a right leg injury that forced him to miss the 2023 Australian Open. Djokovic's triumph in Melbourne meant that the all-time leader in weeks at No. 1 would return to that spot.

Second stint: 20 March, 2023 to 2 April, 2023 (two weeks)

Alcaraz wasted no time reasserting himself when he was back on Tour. He won 14 of his first 15 matches — with title runs in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells — to reclaim No. 1 honours from Djokovic in March 2023.

What followed was a back-and-forth tug-of-war at the top. Alcaraz’s second stint lasted only two weeks before Djokovic returned to No. 1.

Third and fourth stints: 22 May, 2023 to 11 June, 2023 (three weeks); 26 June, 2023 to 10 September, 2023 (11 weeks)

In May ‘23, the Spaniard briefly climbed to the pole position again, only for Djokovic to reclaim it at Roland Garros. Alcaraz countered at Queen’s Club, lifting the trophy to retake No. 1 — and this time, he held it for 11 weeks, during which Alcaraz captured his first Wimbledon crown, defeating seven-time champ Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final. The Serbian Djokovic struck back, escaping Alcaraz in an epic Cincinnati final before carrying his momentum to the US Open, where he claimed his fourth trophy at the American Slam to, again, return to No. 1.

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