The Italian is closing in on becoming the 29th No.1 in ATP history. Here’s how Novak Djokovic could stop him. 
Novak Djokovic’s loss in Rome today has opened the door for Jannik Sinner to overtake the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the top of the ATP rankings. Djokovic, who fell to Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday, drops 130 points from his ranking total, leaving him 1090 points clear of Sinner as Roland Garros commences.
But the World No.1 is defending 2000 points from last year’s French Open, while Sinner is only defending 45.
That means that Sinner will open the tournament with an 865-point lead over Djokovic in the live rankings. In other words, Djokovic will need to outperform the Italian by 865 points to remain at No.1 on the Monday after Roland Garros.
If:
– Djokovic does not reach the French Open final
– Medvedev does not reach the Rome final or does not win in ParisJANNIK #SINNER WILL BE THE 29TH WORLD NO. 1 EVER SINCE 06/10!
🇮🇹🦊🥕 pic.twitter.com/TCx1tgQqLY
— Pietro Marazzato (@PietroMarazzato) May 12, 2024
Djokovic will have to reach at least the final to remain at No.1 – even if Sinner doesn’t win a match. If Djokovic defeats Sinner in the final, Sinner would have the consolation of reaching No.1.
If Djokovic loses in the final, Sinner would have to reach the quarterfinals to rise to No.1 on June 10.
Stay tuned: Daniil Medvedev could also be in the running in Paris, depending on Medvedev’s results in Rome.