Sinner, Zverev, Humbert, or Fritz: Which players have the most points to defend until the end of the season?

Jules Hypolite

le 10/09/2025 à 18h56

2 min to read

Alcaraz Auger-Aliassime Fritz Humbert Sinner Zverev

With the US Open now over, the tennis season is entering its final stretch with the Asian tour, before returning to Europe for the indoor tournaments, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup.

During this transitional week on the men's tour, it’s a good time to assess which players will face the most pressure in the coming weeks.

Starting with Jannik Sinner, who has just lost his ATP ranking throne, which he had held since June 2024. Defeated at the US Open, the Italian will have to push hard through the end of the year, as he has 2,830 points to defend—the highest total among all players.

Last year, riding the momentum of his title in New York, Sinner followed up with a final in Beijing and a title in Shanghai, before winning the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup.

His biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, has only 1,000 points to defend, half of which will be up for grabs in Beijing, where he was the defending champion. The current world No. 1 was then eliminated in the third round in Paris and lost in the group stage in Turin.

Next, Alexander Zverev will have his work cut out for him, with a potential loss of 1,730 points. Significantly trailing Alcaraz and Sinner in the rankings, the recent Australian Open finalist will defend his title in Paris, followed by a semifinal at the ATP Finals.

Then comes Taylor Fritz with 1,230 points (semifinal in Shanghai, final at the ATP Finals), who could drop out of the top 5 if he hits a rough patch.

The drop could be even steeper for Ugo Humbert, ranked 24th in the world. The Frenchman surprisingly reached the final at Paris-Bercy last year, in addition to playing the final in Tokyo. With 1,060 points at stake, he could lose more than half of his current points (he currently has 2,045) in the ATP rankings. It remains to be seen whether his back discomfort will allow him to compete at 100% of his abilities.

Finally, some players will have opportunities to gain ground, such as Félix Auger-Aliassime, a recent US Open semifinalist. The Canadian has only 110 points to defend in the upcoming tournaments, which will be a significant advantage in the race to qualify for the ATP Finals (he is currently 10th in the Race).