Sinner, Zverev, Alcaraz, Ruud, or Tsitsipas: Which players will have the most points to defend on clay?
The clay season has officially begun this week with the ATP tournaments in Marrakech, Budapest, and Houston.
However, the world's top players have taken a break to prepare for the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, which starts on Sunday.
This is an opportunity to assess the Top 10 and Top 20 players who will have the most points to defend until Roland-Garros. While Jannik Sinner is the world No. 1, the Italian won’t have as many points to defend as his rivals.
Sinner accumulated 1,400 points last year (semifinals in Monte-Carlo, quarterfinals in Madrid, and semifinals at Roland-Garros), but he will only be able to defend 800 due to his suspension for negligence.
Behind him, Alexander Zverev (2,550 points) and Carlos Alcaraz (2,220 points) have a lot at stake. The former won in Rome and reached the Roland-Garros final, while Alcaraz triumphed at Porte d'Auteuil and will be defending nearly all his points during the Parisian fortnight.
A finalist in Monte-Carlo, champion in Barcelona, and semifinalist at Roland-Garros, Casper Ruud could lose up to 2,410 points. But he’ll be on his favorite surface, where he typically achieves his best results of the year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (1,940 points), the defending champion in Monte-Carlo, will need another strong week in the Principality to hope for a Top 10 stay.
Finally, Andrey Rublev, winner of the 2024 Madrid Masters 1000, will have to defend 1,160 points during this part of the season.
World No. 7 Jack Draper, who only defends 130 points, could climb the rankings. The same goes for Arthur Fils, ATP No. 15, who could edge closer to the Top 10 with just 380 points to defend.
