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Casper Ruud Aspires to Catch up With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the ATP Tour

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 5:38 PM ET

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been dominant forces in men’s tennis, but Casper Ruud believes they can be beaten. The Norwegian star, currently ranked inside the ATP’s top 10, said he would not still be competing if he did not believe he could challenge any player on tour. His comments come as Sinner and Alcaraz prepare for the US Open, where they are again seen as the top two contenders for the title.

Since the start of 2024, Sinner and Alcaraz have been in complete control of the sport. They have combined to win the last seven Grand Slam singles titles, even meeting in back-to-back major finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season.

Many had expected a more open field after Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal’s era began to wind down, but the two young stars have created a new duopoly at the top of the game. Ruud said on the Australian Open website:

Now you have two guys [Alcaraz and Sinner] who honestly you can say they’re also taking it to a little bit of a different level. But I really still believe that they’re catchable, let’s say, that it’s possible to catch up with them, and they’re beatable. Otherwise I don’t think I would be here if I didn’t believe that you can beat anyone.

Ruud has been part of the chasing pack but is still searching for his first major trophy. The 26-year-old has reached three Grand Slam finals, losing each time to a member of tennis royalty. His defeats came against Nadal at the 2022 French Open, Alcaraz at the 2022 US Open, and Djokovic at the 2023 French Open. Despite those setbacks, he remains confident in his ability to compete with the very best.

With the US Open less than two weeks away, the question is whether anyone can break the Sinner–Alcaraz stranglehold. Younger talents like Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca are tipped as future threats, but for now, Ruud is among the established players determined to end their run. His belief and experience could make him one of the few capable of pushing the two dominant champions in New York.

Jannik Sinner saves set point at the Cincinnati Open

Jannik Sinner’s third-round match at the Cincinnati Open brought an unusual twist. Early in the second set against Gabriel Diallo, play was interrupted when a fire alarm in the 1899 club grandstand began blaring. After a short delay, both players decided to continue despite the noise and flashing lights, playing four points before the alarm stopped. Sinner went on to win 6-2, 7-6(6), saving a set point in the tie-break with a powerful forehand return.

The night had already been delayed by the previous match between Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Sonego, which was paused for 75 minutes due to a power outage. Once play began, Sinner quickly found his rhythm, recovering from 0-2 down to take six straight games and claim the first set.

Diallo, ranked 35th in the world, used his big serve to force a second-set tie-break but faltered by landing just two first serves out of seven. Sinner capitalized, sealing the victory in their first career meeting. Sinner’s win extended his hard-court streak to 22 matches without a loss since falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final last October.

He has now gone 46-0 on hard courts against opponents ranked outside the top 20 since a loss to Dusan Lajovic at this tournament two years ago. Diallo, a former University of Kentucky standout, struck 10 aces but also committed a career-high 10 double faults, a sign of pressing too hard against the top seed.

The world No. 1 has now held the top spot for 61 consecutive weeks and will face qualifier Adrian Mannarino next, after the Frenchman upset Tommy Paul in three sets. This is Sinner’s first event since winning his maiden Wimbledon crown, and he is 27-3 for the season. Already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, where he will defend his title, Sinner is also closing in on 300 career match wins.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner set to lead the US Open seedings

The US Open is just under two weeks away, promising another exciting two weeks of tennis in New York. While the men’s singles seedings are not yet official, the picture is becoming clearer with the Cincinnati Open underway.

At the very top, there is no uncertainty — defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will lead the draw, with 2022 winner Carlos Alcaraz as the second seed. Alcaraz cannot overtake Sinner this week but holds a comfortable lead over the rest of the field for the No. 2 spot.

Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz are set to round out the top four seeds. Zverev sits at No. 3 in the rankings, though Fritz could pass him if he has a deep run in Cincinnati combined with an early Zverev loss.

Positions five through seven are expected to be Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, and Ben Shelton. Shelton and Djokovic are currently tied in the live rankings, but with Djokovic skipping Cincinnati, Shelton needs just one more win to hold his position as world No. 6. Draper’s absence gives Shelton a chance to climb even higher.

Alex de Minaur is currently eighth in both the live and actual rankings, but his early Cincinnati loss puts that spot at risk. Karen Khachanov has moved up to 10th in the live standings and could challenge for a top-eight seeding if results go his way.

Holger Rune has slipped to 12th after losing last year’s Cincinnati semi-final points, while Lorenzo Musetti, ranked ninth, has already exited the event. Khachanov appears best placed to put pressure on de Minaur ahead of the US Open.

Further down the list, Frances Tiafoe faces a challenge to secure a top-16 seeding. The American, a Cincinnati finalist last year, has dropped to 17th in the live rankings after losing those points. Without a strong showing in the remaining events before New York, he may have to contend with a tougher draw when the final Grand Slam of the season begins.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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