ATP Ranking: Alcaraz closes gap with Zverev after his title in Rotterdam

Carlos Navarro | 9 Feb 2025 | 23.17

Carlos Alcaraz. Source: Getty

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The month of February is a period full of activity on the ATP circuit. Numerous tournaments on various surfaces, draws that offer opportunities to a wide range of players, and as a result of all this, movement everywhere in the ATP Ranking. The absence of a Grand Slam or a Masters 1000 keeps the circuit away from the possibility of total earthquakes, but tournaments like ATP Rotterdam 2025 or ATP Dallas 2025 are the perfect launching pads for some very interesting breakthroughs to occur.

He hasn't achieved it yet, but the title in Dutch lands has put Carlos Alcaraz in a fantastic position to regain ground in the rankings. If after the Australian Open Alexander Zverev seemed to be at an almost insurmountable distance, the trophy won in Rotterdam puts the Murcian right back into the fight for the top 2. The 500 points he pockets position him just over 600 points behind the German, still a significant distance, but it gives him a much greater margin for the upcoming tournaments where he will accrue points before Roland Garros (Doha, Miami, or most of the clay court swing).

However, there have been movements in the top 10. The big protagonist in the elite of the circuit is Alex de Miñaur, confirming his stellar progression with his best historical ranking. The Australian climbs to the sixth spot in the world, surpassing Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev (the Russian's drop is significant: he is now #8 in the world, and his presence in the top 10 is in serious danger on the North American cement), reaffirming that this is the best moment of his sporting career. Also, Hubert Hurkacz returns to the top 20 after his semifinal in Rotterdam, and Grigor Dimitrov, surrounded by a spiral of injuries, drops two places to #13.

SHAPOVALOV AND MUNAR, PROTAGONISTS OF MAJOR ASCENTS

But as we were saying, February is a land of opportunities, and this is not only due to what happens at the top. Standout performances in tournaments like Dallas are rewarded with significant climbs, with particular emphasis on its champion, Denis Shapovalov, who welcomes those 500 points like a breath of fresh air. The Canadian, in the midst of a resurgence, is on the brink of returning to the top 30: he will be #32 in the ranking after climbing 22 positions, regaining the form that once led him to break into the world's top 10.

There are other major protagonists with Mediterranean essence. The semifinals on Texan soil allow Jaume Munar to take a massive bite at the table, climbing eleven positions to reach #53 in the ranking, just one place off his best historical position. On the other hand, the surprising Mattia Bellucci, who needed many years of work to reach the top 100, has capitalized on his great performance in Rotterdam (reaching the semifinals after defeating Medvedev and Tsitsipas) and no longer needs to worry about the calculator: he is now the new #68 in the world, climbing 24 positions. Special mention, to conclude, for Lucas Pouille who left the sad news of the day, confirming the Achilles tendon rupture in the final of the Lille Challenger: it is truly unfortunate, as his performance on French soil had allowed him to return to the top 100 (#92 in the world).

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