Alcaraz rules, Rybakina on the move
CARLOS Alcaraz returned to the top of the ATP rankings after his Indian Wells triumph, while Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in 18 years.
Spanish teenager Alcaraz cruised past Russian Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final to retake top spot from Novak Djokovic who was missing Indian Wells due to being unvaccinated against Covid.
American Taylor Fritz dropped five spots to world number 10 after his title defence ended in the quarter-finals.
Nadal, who has been out injured since a second-round exit at the Australian Open, fell to 13th place.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion had previously been inside the top 10 since April 2005.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina moved up three places to a career-high ranking of seventh after winning the prestigious Indian Wells title.
The Kazakh star beat Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday’s final to avenge her defeat by the Belarusian earlier this year in the
Melbourne showpiece.
She would be higher in the standings if Wimbledon had not been stripped of its ranking points last year for banning Russian and Belarusian players.
Iga Swiatek retains a commanding lead as world number one, despite failing to win a second straight Indian Wells title after a semi-final loss to Rybakina.
ATP TOP 10
1. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 7,420 pts (+1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 7,160 (-1)
3. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 5,770
4. Casper Ruud (NOR) 5,560
5. Daniil Medvedev 4,330 (+1)
6. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 3,415 (+4)
7. Andrey Rublev 3,390
8. Holger Rune (DEN) 3,325
9. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3,065 (+2)
10. Taylor Fritz (USA) 2,975 (-5)
WTA TOP 10
1. Iga Swiatek (POL) 9,975 pts
2. Aryna Sabalenka 6,740
3. Jessica Pegula (USA) 5,605
4. Caroline Garcia (FRA) 4,990 (+1)
5. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 4,976 (-1)
6. Coco Gauff (USA) 4,401
7. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 3,720 (+3)
8. Daria Kasatkina 3,375
9. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3,360
10. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3,191 (-3)