Tennis News

Will Alcaraz catch Sinner for weeks as World No. 1?

The battle for No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings has become a two-man chess match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in recent years, and right now every move could have major implications.

Now having spent 59 total weeks at No. 1, Alcaraz broke his tie with Jim Courier for 13th on the all-time list and is edging closer to Sinner with 66. What was last year Sinner’s era at the summit has quickly evolved into a back-and-forth tussle that feels emblematic of the sport’s present and future.

Total Weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings

Just a year ago, Sinner was in the midst of an imperious debut stint at No. 1, becoming the fifth player to spend more than a year at the top in their maiden reign. But Alcaraz has responded in emphatic fashion.

The 22-year-old Spaniard reclaimed top spot with his US Open triumph over Sinner in September and cemented it with his Australian Open title in January, becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. Alcaraz now holds a 2,850-point lead over Sinner atop the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner headline the ATP 500 field this week at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, where Sinner is aiming to make ground in the battle for No. 1 on his Doha debut. The 24-year-old Italian has no points to defend until the clay-court swing in Rome and it’s a stretch that gives him the freedom to attack without immediate pressure.

Importantly, the immediate period does not present an overwhelming points burden for the Alcaraz. He defends a quarter-final in Doha, a semi-final at Indian Wells and a second-round result in Miami before the calendar shifts to clay, where his bigger hauls begin with the Monte-Carlo title and a runner-up finish in Barcelona.

Beyond the numbers, the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has come to define the ATP Tour’s narrative, with the Spaniard leading their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 10-6. The two could reignite their rivalry for the first time since the Nitto ATP Finals in November if they both reach the championship match in Doha this week.

For now, the gap in the battle for No. 1 is Alcaraz’s to protect and Sinner’s to chase. Twelve months ago the picture looked very different. Today, with no one standing between them on the all-time list and both competing deep into the season’s biggest events, the race for No. 1 feels less like a changing of the guard and more like a rivalry destined to define an era.

If Alcaraz maintains his grip atop the PIF ATP Rankings, he could overtake Sinner for weeks at No. 1 as the Tour enters the clay season at the beginning of April, following the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami.

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Fonseca physically ‘100 per cent’ ahead of hometown title tilt in Rio

Following a stop-start opening to 2026, can Joao Fonseca turbocharge his season in his hometown at the Rio Open presented by Claro?

The No. 38 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will this week line up as the third seed at the clay ATP 500. It will be just the third tournament of the season for the 19-year-old, who did not compete until the Australian Open due to injury but now believes he is primed and ready to make more headlines as one of the leading lights of Brazilian tennis.

“I’m feeling good. Already 100 per cent physically,” Fonseca told ATP Media in Rio ahead of his first-round match against his countryman Thiago Monteiro. “I’ve been struggling in the beginning of the year with my lower back, but now I’m 100 per cent and feeling great back on court. Physically I’m good.”

After opening his 2026 season with a first-round loss to Eliot Spizzirri at the Australian Open, Fonseca immediately headed to South America to prepare for the ‘Golden Swing’. Although he also fell to an opening defeat when defending his title at last week’s IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where he was edged in three sets by former Top 20 star Alejandro Tabilo, Fonseca feels it was another important step on his tennis journey.

“It was a pretty tight match in Buenos Aires, against a very good player,” said the 19-year-old. “I think the opportunity to play a week where you are the defending champion was great. I’m thinking about positive things right 1771301862. It was my first time, and of course a little bit more pressure, but I think I handled it pretty well. I think my opponent played pretty good. Things to work on of course, but I’m feeling confident for this week.”

Fonseca enters Rio this year with a 13-11 tour-level record on clay, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, having competed in tournaments across both Europe and South America. He was quick to identify a couple of aspects of the ‘Golden Swing’ events that set them apart from their European equivalents.

“I think the most different thing is the weather [in Europe],” explained Fonseca. “It’s hotter and more humid [here], and I think the fans are such a big thing. They pull out a lot of the culture of Argentina and Brazil, perhaps because of football, it’s huge.

“They cheer a lot. Sometimes it’s too much! But I think it’s a great environment and that’s the biggest thing [about South America]. The courts are pretty similar. Buenos Aires is more similar to [the European] ones, and here the ball goes a little bit slower, but it’s also good.”

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Alcaraz isn’t alone: Sinner matches rival's serve focus ahead of Doha…

Much has been made about the work Carlos Alcaraz has done on his serve. But the Spaniard is not the only one focusing on the vital stroke. Jannik Sinner revealed on Sunday ahead of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open that he is emphasising his serve ahead of his first ATP 500 event of the season.

“Honestly at the moment [we are working] on the usual stuff. Trying to get a very solid serve at the moment, which is what we work a lot on,” Sinner told ATP Media in Doha. “Also a lot in the gym, the gym sessions are very important. I try to make an extra step forward in that scenario and that’s it.”

Sinner is the second seed this week in Doha, where he leads the field alongside the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz. The Italian is competing for the first time since he suffered a semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month, when he made 75 per cent of his first deliveries and won 80 per cent of those points, according to Infosys Stats.

While the loss was a disappointment, the Italian was keen to stress that the work undertaken in the fortnight since has been building on the foundations laid during the team’s pre-season training block in Dubai.

“The season has started. A lot of the work we have done was in the offseason,” Sinner said. “Now of course we try to keep working, but also to maintain the level of fitness, too. I think everything is going quite well. Of course you need to play some matches, trying to have the best feedback.”

That feedback loop, practice intensity translating into match performance, will guide his week in Doha as much as results.

“From my point of view, it also depends how the practice sessions go. If you feel very well there, you want to produce the same intensity also in the match,” Sinner said. “If certain things don’t work well in the practice session, you try to be slightly better than in the practice session. So it depends, but at the same time I’m here trying to go as far as possible. At the same time, trying to improve and then see what’s working well here.”

Sinner is making his debut at the ATP 500 event in Doha, where he will open against Czech Tomas Machac. The World No. 2, who leads Machac 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, is excited for the week, having enjoyed success in the city in the past.

“Some years ago I won a junior tournament, so it’s a very familiar place,” Sinner said. “Obviously a different level now playing the 500 event here. But I’m very excited and let’s see what’s coming.”

Sinner trails World No. 1 Alcaraz by 2,750 points in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. However, the Italian has no points to defend between now and Rome in May.

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De Minaur jumps after Rotterdam triumph, Mover of Week

Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo all triumphed in a three-tournament week on the ATP Tour. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday 16 February, following events in Rotterdam, Dallas and Buenos Aires.

No. 6 Alex de Minaur, +2 (Joint Career High)
The Australian has risen two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his title success at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. The 26-year-old had lost his past two finals at the ATP 500 event but ensured it was third time lucky on Sunday, when he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the title match.

No. 43 Marin Cilic, +18
The Croatian enjoyed a semi-final showing at the Nexo Dallas Open and has climbed 18 places to return to the Top 50 for the first time since May 2023. Cilic did not drop a set en route to the last four at the ATP 500 in Texas.

No. 59 Raphael Collignon, +10 (Career High)
Collignon has jumped 10 spots to a career high in the PIF ATP Rankings following title success at the ATP Challenger event in Pau, France. The Belgian was perfect throughout his five matches, not losing one set to win his fifth title at that level.

No. 95 Christopher O’Connell, +24
The 31-year-old has returned to the Top 100 after a quarter-final run in Rotterdam. The Australian came through qualifying and then beat Valentin Royer and Cameron Norrie.

No. 98 Stan Wawrinka, +8
Wawrinka is back in the Top 100 for the first time since July 2024. At 40, with his 41st birthday approaching in March, Wawrinka stands as the oldest man in the Top 100 by more than two years. For perspective, Novak Djokovic, 38, sits at No. 3, while Adrian Mannarino, Marin Cilic and Roberto Bautista Agut, all 37, also remain inside the elite bracket. The last 40-year-old to feature in the Top 100 was Roger Federer, who held No. 97 in June 2022.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 35 Denis Shapovalov, +5
No. 55 Botic van de Zandschulp, +10
No. 72 Quentin Halys, +5
No. 76 Emilio Nava, +5 (Career High)
No. 77 Jan-Lennard Struff, +5
No. 79 Alexander Shevchenko, +5
No. 87 Vit Kopriva, +8
[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Tennis 'racist, misogynistic, homophobic', says Aiava

Australian player Destanee Aiava says tennis has a “racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile” culture as she announces her retirement from the sport at 25.

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Harris, former No. 31, celebrates 'stepping stone in new career'

After returning to the Tour in 2025 following a severe back injury, Lloyd Harris has begun this season with two ATP Challenger title runs.

The 28-year-old returned to the winner’s circle Sunday at the Tenerife Challenger 2, where he beat Alejandro Moro Canas 7-5, 7-5 in the final. Harris, who won the Soma Bay Challenger in January, has now claimed eight titles at that level.

“A trophy means a lot, especially on the Challenger Tour. It helps me a lot to start getting into bigger tournaments again, hopefully soon,” Harris said. “A trophy is a special feeling, winning a final gives you a lot of confidence. Overall, just a big deal for me to win a trophy this week.”

Harris reached a career-high No. 31 in 2021 shortly after reaching his first major quarter-final at the US Open. In 2024, Harris suffered a disc herniation at the L4/L5 spinal segment (lower back), eventually requiring discectomy surgery.

“After every surgery, especially what I had, is very tough. It’s a new career for me, it’s a new pathway,” said Harris, now No. 155 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I’m increasing the load, I’m increasing the level from where I was, which was essentially coming back from nothing. It’s a stepping stone.”

Zhang dominant en route to Brisbane title
Zhang Zhizhen, whose career high is also No. 31 (reached in 2024), claimed a Challenger title of his own, triumphing at the Brisbane Tennis International #2. The 29-year-old did not drop a set all week. Zhang downed home hope Alex Bolt 6-2, 6-4 in the final.

^{Zhang Zhizhen wins the Brisbane Challenger. Credit: Tennis Australia}

Zhang competed in just 17 matches across all levels in 2025, having missed six months due to a shoulder injury.

Collignon defends Pau crown
Raphael Collignon successfully defended his title at the Terega Open Pau Pyrénées, an indoor Challenger 125 event in France. The top-seeded Belgian defeated Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(5) 6-1 in the final and is now at a career-high No. 59 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

<img alt=”Raphael Collignon wins the Pau Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/16/02/46/collignon-pauch-2026.jpg” />
^{Raphael Collignon lifts his fifth ATP Challenger trophy. Credit: Alexis Atteret}

Dostanic goes from qualies to titlist
American Stefan Dostanic captured his first Challenger crown at the Baton Rouge Challenger, where as a qualifier he won seven matches in eight days to lift the trophy. A former standout for Wake Forest University, the 24-year-old Dostanic downed Alexis Galarneau 6-4, 6-1 in the championship match.

<img alt=”Stefan Dostanic in action at the Baton Rouge Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/16/02/44/dostanic-batonrougech-2026.jpg” />
^{Stefan Dostanic in action at the Baton Rouge Challenger. Credit: Nick Adams/LSU Athletics}

Ferreira Silva wins near three-hour final to triumph in Chennai
Portugal’s Frederico Ferreira Silva won his maiden Challenger title in his fifth final at that level. The 30-year-old claimed the Coromandel Open, where he escaped Argentine
Federico Agustin Gomez 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-4 in a marathon two-hour, 58-minute final.

<img alt=”Frederico Ferreira Silva in action at the Chennai Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/16/02/43/ferreira-silva-chennaich-2026.jpg” />
^{Frederico Ferreira Silva during the Chennai final. Credit: Coromandel Open}

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Alcaraz, Sinner, Fritz among stars in action in Doha, Rio & Delray Beach

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner headline a busy week on the ATP Tour, with three tournaments unfolding across Doha, Rio de Janeiro and Delray Beach, respectively.

The top two players in the PIF ATP Rankings spearhead a strong field at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, a hard-court ATP 500 event. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires champion Francisco Cerundolo leads the draw at the clay-court Rio Open presented by Claro, and two-time Delray Beach Open champion Taylor Fritz is the top seed at the ATP 250 event in Florida.

ATPTour.com looks at five key storylines at each stop.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DOHA:
1) Alcaraz the man to beat: Alcaraz returns to competition for the first time since capturing his maiden Australian Open crown, a triumph with which the 22-year-old became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. Last year in Doha, Alcaraz fell to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals on debut. This year, he begins against Arthur Rinderknech.

2) Sinner’s debut: Second seed Sinner is set for his Doha debut. The Italian will be eager to rebound from his painful five-set semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne and arrives chasing his 25th tour-level title — and first since lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy on home soil in November.

3) Former champions in draw: The draw features three past winners: defending champion Andrey Rublev, who also claimed the title in 2020 when the event was an ATP 250; 2023 titlist Daniil Medvedev; and 2024 champion Karen Khachanov.

4) Fils continues comeback: Arthur Fils, the former World No. 14, continues his comeback after an eight-month layoff due to a back injury. Competing in just his third tournament since returning, the unseeded Frenchman plays Kamil Majchrzak in the first round.

5) Cash/Glasspool eye response: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool aim to regroup after their surprise second-round defeat at the Australian Open to James McCabe and Li Tu. The top seeds open against singles standouts Ugo Humbert and Arthur Rinderknech.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN RIO DE JANEIRO:
1) In-form Cerundolo: Fresh from winning his maiden title on home soil in Buenos Aires, where he did not drop a set, Cerundolo enters the ATP 500 event in Rio brimming with confidence. The Argentine reached the semi-finals in 2022 and 2024, but the top seed will hope to go deeper during this campaign. He opens against countryman Mariano Navone. 

What it means 🥹

The moment @FranCerundolo clinched the 2026 Buenos Aires title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1CuuKGy04M

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026

2) Baez eyes three-peat: Sebastian Baez made history last year by becoming the first man to successfully defend the Rio crown. Now, the two-time reigning champion is pursuing his eighth ATP Tour title. After a semi-final showing in Buenos Aires — where he fell to Luciano Darderi — a potential rematch could loom in Brazil at the same stage.

3) Fonseca seeks first win of 2026: Joao Fonseca has endured a stop-start beginning to 2026, withdrawing from Brisbane and Adelaide before a first-round exit at the Australian Open and opening-match defeat in Buenos Aires, where he was defending champion. The 19-year-old Brazilian will draw confidence from his breakthrough moment in Rio in 2024, when he earned his first tour-level win against Fils.

4) Can Darderi push on? Darderi has enjoyed a strong start to the season by reaching the quarter-finals in Auckland, the fourth round at the Australian Open and the final in Buenos Aires. Set to rise to a career-high World No. 21 on Monday, the Italian will chase his fifth ATP Tour title in Rio, where he is the second seed.

5) Fonseca/Melo feature in doubles: Fonseca teams with veteran Marcelo Melo in doubles, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer. Melo lifted the trophy last year alongside Rafael Matos. French duo Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul are the top seeds.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DELRAY BEACH:
1) Fritz targets third title: Taylor Fritz arrives in Florida riding high after a positive run to the Dallas final. The top seed is aiming for a third Delray Beach trophy, having won back-to-back editions in 2023 and 2024. He holds a 12-6 event record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

2) Ruud’s return: Second seed Casper Ruud competes for the first time since he and his wife, Maria, welcomed their first child. The Norwegian reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and now looks to rediscover that level in his Delray debut.

3) #NextGenATP Jodar: The 19-year-old Rafael Jodar recently turned professional after one season at the University of Virginia. The Spaniard impressed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah and entered Delray Beach through the Next Gen Accelerator, designed to expand opportunities for rising stars aged 20 and under.

4) Strong American presence: Thirteen Americans feature in the main draw. Among the leading seeds are former champion Frances Tiafoe, 2024 finalist Tommy Paul and past Next Gen ATP Finals winners Learner Tien and Brandon Nakashima.

5) Johnson/Zielinski top seeds: Luke Johnson and Jan Zielinski return for the first time since their run to the Australian Open semi-finals. The pair sit fifth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and headline the doubles competition.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect the withdrawal of Alexander Bublik from the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

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Shelton saves 3 championship points for gripping Dallas final win vs. Fritz

Ben Shelton brought the thunder when it mattered most on Sunday at the Nexo Dallas Open, where he saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz and capture his first title of the season.

The 23-year-old roared back to earn an explosive 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory for his second ATP 500 trophy, saving all three championship points in a nervy 10th game of the decider. After that pivotal hold, Shelton dropped just three more points en route to winning his fourth ATP Tour title, and first indoors.

Big Ben strikes in Dallas 🤠@BenShelton claims the title on home soil after saving three match points to defeat compatriot Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5! @NexoDallasOpen | #DALOpen pic.twitter.com/rVSowg1Zj7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026

In a high-octane matchup between the top two seeds that ebbed and flowed right until the last ball, Shelton showed supreme composure under pressure. He let slip a break lead in the final set and then looked down and out, but showed some gutsy tennis at the dying embers to dish Fritz a painful defeat.

With the one-hour, 51-minute victory, Shelton improved to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fritz.

More to follow…

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Hometown hero Cerundolo wins Buenos Aires title in ‘best moment of career so far’

Francisco Cerundolo put a history of Buenos Aires heartache behind him in style on Sunday afternoon, when the top seed eased to his maiden title at the IEB+ Argentina Open.

A defeated finalist in 2021 and 2025, hometown favourite Cerundolo overcame second seed Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-2 to seal an emotional triumph at the clay ATP 250 event. Cerundolo held his nerve in a see-saw final set, in which all but two games featured at least one break point, to lift his fourth ATP Tour trophy and his first on Argentine soil.

Fran, let the party begin 🕺

Home hero @FranCerundolo wins the title in Buenos Aires in front of his adoring fans! @iebmasargopen | #ArgOpen2026 pic.twitter.com/UZWeNGzMCZ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026

“Probably the best moment of my career so far,” declared Cerundolo after his 97-minute win. “I really wanted to win here in my hometown, in my country, with my friends and family and all the people here in Argentina. This feeling is amazing. I really fought throughout these past years and tried to win. I couldn’t do it, and today I played one of the best matches probably of my career.”

The No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Cerundolo is the seventh home champion in the history of the IEB+ Argentina Open, which was first held in 2001. The 27-year-old has now won a Tour-leading 46 matches on clay since the start of the 2024 season, two more than second-placed Darderi.

Cerundolo saved six of seven break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including all five in the opening set. He now leads 24-year-old Italian Darderi, who himself was born and spent much of his childhood in Argentina, 3-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I think I played really good, really aggressive. I didn’t let him take initative of the points,” said Cerundolo. “It’s a final. You have to go for it. Nobody wants to lose, and everybody wants to win. I played for every point today.”

Despite falling short of his fifth ATP Tour title, Darderi will rise to a career-high World No. 21 on Monday after his run to the championship match in Argentina.

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What McEnroe ‘really respects’ about Djokovic, Nadal & Federer

John McEnroe is one of the most prolific members of the ATP No. 1 Club, having spent 170 weeks atop men’s tennis and earning four ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF finishes. But decades after his retirement, the American continues to learn about the sport.

During an interview with ATP Media at the Nexo Dallas Open, McEnroe explained how much he “really respects” one thing in particular about Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and more recently Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“They keep pushing. It might be a little late but the lesson I learned is maybe I should have pushed a little harder then instead of waiting to see what would happen,” McEnroe said. “So you get life lessons as you’re dealing with all this stuff that, later on, probably makes you a better person in the end.”

The legendary lefty first became the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings in March 1980,

“The first time that I hit No. 1 on the computer was a different time than when I was the No. 1 and that there was no doubt about it,” McEnroe said. “There was probably a year and a half between that happening in Memphis in February of ’80 to September at the US Open of ’81 when I supplanted Bjorn at that time as No. 1.”

When McEnroe became No. 1 his great rival, Bjorn Borg, was still at the top of the sport. But 1981 would prove to be the iconic Swede’s final full-time season.

“When it did happen, it coincided unfortunately as it turned out with my greatest rival deciding not to play any more. So it was gut-wrenching in a way,” McEnroe said. “That led to me struggling with feeling a bit like I’d walked into something that was a little bit overwhelming. And it took me a while to figure it out. And then by the time I figured it out, I was still out there finishing No. 1 the third, fourth year. But then after that, lifting myself to that level I was like, ’Alright, now I’ve shown them’.”

McEnroe’s final stint at World No. 1 ended in September 1985. More than 40 years later, he still is seventh of 29 ATP No. 1 Club members for weeks at the top of the sport.

“I appreciated it then, but I also appreciated being No. 2 in the world. I had this conversation with Bjorn quite a bit,” McEnroe said. “He was like, ‘Look, if you’re not No. 1, what the hell difference is it being No. 2 or 100?’ I go, ‘Well, [No.] 2 is a lot better than 100’. So it’s just sort of the way you look at it.

“To me, there are a lot of people out there trying to do their thing. So if you gave it the best you can give and you were 5 in the world or you’re 50, whatever it is, the pride you have to take is that moreso than, ‘Okay I’m No. 1 and therefore I’ve got to act a certain way’.”

Nobody will ever be able to take away what McEnroe accomplished in tennis and those achievements are a big reason why fans still flock to see the New Yorker.

McEnroe said: “To me, ultimately, I think that being able to say that for a period of three, four years, that I was the best and then there were other years I was one of the two of three best, that feels better as you get older.”

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