Carlos Alcaraz’s Australian Open withdrawal locks Djokovic, Ruud, and Tsitsipas in race to become World No. 1
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Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz became the first big profile name to be ruled out of the 2023 Australian Open. An untimely training injury meant the World No. 1 won’t be making the trip Down Under. Having won the 2022 US Open, he was the reigning Grand Slam title winner but will be a notable absent this year in Melbourne Park.
Coming into the 2023 season, Alcaraz led the rankings with 6820 points. Following him was World No. 2 Rafael Nadal with 6020 points. Casper Ruud sat in the third position with 5820 points, Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth position with 5550 points, and Novak Djokovic closed the Top-5 with 4820 points.
However, his withdrawal has boosted the chances of him being replaced at the top. Defending champion Nadal cannot add any more points to his tally as he defends 2000 points. Tsitsipas was a semi-finalist last year and has 720 points to defend. Both Ruud and Djokovic did not play last year. The Norwegian withdrew due to an ankle injury and the Serb was deported out of the country on the eve of his first-round match.
With the two Spaniards out of the race for the top spot, Djokovic, Ruud, and Tsitsipas are in a three-horse race now. Journalist Jose Morgado broke down the scenarios for each of the three players to become the World No. 1. For Djokovic and Tsitsipas, it is simple, win the title and reach the top. For Ruud, a runner-up finish would also suffice provided the other two don’t clinch the title.
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How can Carlos Alcaraz still stay World No. 1 after the 2023 Australian Open?
While it was Carlos Alcaraz‘s misfortune that he was forced to withdraw, not all is lost for him. To his advantage, he reached only the third round last year. As a result, he will drop only 90 points taking his tally to 6730 points. With Rafael Nadal being the closest and him being unable to gain anything, Alcaraz does have a safety cushion.
He would however need to hope that neither Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Novak Djokovic fulfill their scenarios. With World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime on 4195 points coming into the season, even if he wins the Major, he can’t beat Alcaraz’s tally. The biggest problem for Alcaraz will however be Djokovic.
The 21-time Grand Slam title winner is also the nine-time Australian Open winner. He has reached the finals of the 2023 Adelaide International already and looks like the favorite against Sebastian Korda to win it. Ruud and Tsitsipas have also shown great form during their matches at the 2023 United Cup making the race very interesting. With a lot on the line, the second half of January promises to be a thriller nonetheless.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)