Alcaraz, eleventh player in a year to have 2,000 fewer points than Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia does not start in 2024 as expected and, after their eliminations in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires, He is the eleventh career player of the yearthe ATP Race, with 2,000 points less than added by Italian Jannik Sinner.

The young tennis player from Murcia, 20 years old, who fell against the Chilean in the Argentine Open Nicholas Jarry by 6-7 (2) and 3-6 and on the brink of the final the Argentine would win. Federico Diaz Acosta by 6-3 and 6-4, He is now focused on his next event, which is the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro. There his debut will take place this Monday, around half past eight in the afternoon, against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, 29 years old and 118 in the classification – he became 61 in October 2022 -.

This will be the third confrontation between mula El Palmar and mula Fortaleza and the head to head so far is even. The two precedents date back to 2021, Thiago won the first one by 6-7 (3) and 6-3 in the round of 16 of the ATP 250 of Adelaide, in Australia; and the second went to Carlos by 6-2 and 6-3 in the Masters 1,000 qualifying round Cincinnati, in the United States.

The one in Brazil was a special tournament for Alcaraz because it was the first one on the circuit that he playedin March 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic and with an invitational – his debut came with a 7-6 (2), 4-6 and 7-6 (2) victory over Barcelona’s Albert Ramos before falling 4-6 , 6-4 and 4-6 against Argentine Federico Coria.

Last year he was runner-up in Brazil after losing in the final to the British Cameron Norrie by 7-5, 4-6 and 5-7, in a match that ended with an injury, and in 2022 he won the title, defeating the Argentine Diego Schwartzman by 6-4 and 6-2.

In his fourth appearance in Rio, the student of Juan Carlos Ferrero his KO in will appear a bit downcast Buenos Aires, though there is no time for regret. The Spaniard, second in the ATP ranking with 9,105 points, He is 750 behind Djokovicwhich leads with 9,855; and third place goes to Sinnerwho accumulated 8,270, 835 less than Carlos, after winning this Sunday at ATP 250 Rotterdam by 7-5 and 6-4 in the final against Australian Alex de Minaur.

The Italian surpassed the Russian in the classification Daniel Medvedevwho is now fourth with 8,265, and the one from San Cándido is undoubtedly the best tennis player this year, as he was also proclaimed champion in the first grand slam of course in Melbourne and added the 2,500 points to which he had access.

In this Race classification, counting the results achieved during the year regardless of those defended from the previous campaign, second place goes to Medvedev with 1,300; the third for German Alexander Zverev, with 1,113; the fourth for Djokovic, with 860; and the fifth for De Minaur, with 795.

Sixth appears Russian Andrey Rublev, with 750 points; Bulgaria is seventh Grigor Dimitrov, with 715; polish is eighth Hubert Hurkacz, with 700; and Americans ninth and tenth Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paulwith 610 and 565 respectively.

Just after that top 10 of the year was Alcaraz with 500 points, 400 added to Australia and 100 to Argentina.

The numbers are what they are and they breed sensations at the beginning of the year but there are many seasons ahead and Alcaraz, which will now be left with the Masters Cup reserved for the eight best players of the year, It has more than enough conditions to turn the tide in its favor.