October ATP Power Rankings: Alcaraz ahead of the rest

Tennis is a sport that ebbs and flows, and while the ATP Rankings are a pretty good way to judge where one player stands in the hierarchy, it’s far from the be all and end all. The Race is another useful tool to see how a player has performed more recently, aka this year, but again it’s not really the best way to judge who is where at this very moment. So if you’re wondering what the solution is, don’t worry – because we got it for you and it’s the tennis power rankings.

In this short overview you’ll find out who sits where currently at the top of tennis hierarchy, but be advised that this is a subjective opinion (but more than just recency bias). We factor in the average level, recent performances, as well as generally the type of events that are coming up (currently hard court events). With that said, let’s dive right into it.

October’s ATP Power Rankings

1.Carlos Alcaraz

ATP Rank: 1
ATP Race: 1

Carlos Alcaraz is the best player in the world right now. He has been near impossible to beat this year, losing only seven times out of the 74 matches he played so far. He’s been especially great lately, adding yet another trophy to his tally in Tokyo and obviously winning the US Open against arch rival Jannik Sinner, which is precisely why he is number one right now.

In short, nobody is as good as him and when he’s really on, nobody is close to beating him. Well deserved number one.

2. Jannik Sinner

ATP Rank: 2
ATP Race: 2

The only player that realistically can be considered a threat to Carlos Alcaraz is Jannik Sinner. He’s one of the few that bested him this year, but in more recent tries such as the US Open, even he looked pretty outmatched by the Spaniard. Still, Sinner is miles ahead of anybody other than Alcaraz, as he proved by winning the Beijing event pretty easily. Time will tell if he can grab that number one spot away from Alcaraz, but right now he’s number two on this list.

3. Novak Djokovic

ATP Rank: 5
ATP Race: 4

Novak Djokovic might not be the top player anymore on the ATP Tour, but he’s still one of the best. On his best day he will give anybody trouble, and that includes the two ahead of him on this list. As for the rest of this list, he’s simply still the better player. We’ve seen it at the US Open, and while the Serbian will likely keep sliding as time passes, for now he’s still a solid number 3.

4.Taylor Fritz

ATP Rank: 4
ATP Race: 5

Taylor Fritz might not have had the best year overall so far, but the American is slowly getting there. He’s been very impressive lately, which the run to the Tokyo final proves, as well as the win over Alcaraz at the Laver Cup. He’s turning into the most lethal version of himself yet, and that’s good enough for number 4 on this spot as he should be able to feast in the upcoming weeks.

5. Ben Shelton

ATP Rank: 6
ATP Race: 6

One might wonder why Shelton is this high because we haven’t seen him since the US Open, but it’s mostly about what he did before and what he can do. The injury remains something that is keeping him away from the courts for now, but upon his return we should see a player that is basically top 5 on any given day. That’s why he’s in our top 5 as well.

6. Jack Draper

ATP Rank: 8
ATP Race: 9

Jack Draper is another player who is currently away from the courts, but the British player is one of the top rising names in the sport. While some might deem him too high, when he’s truly at his best then he belongs in this spot and he will likely prove it upon returning to the courts. Time will tell when that will be, but whenever he returns he will continue to ascend and we like his chances.

7. Alexander Zverev

ATP Rank: 3
ATP Race: 3

Alexander Zverev remains a player that seemingly can’t really figure out how to play his best tennis consistently despite being a consistent presence at the top of the game. When he does, he’s incredible, but his recent performances haven’t been anything special. For a player who hasn’t figured it out after this many years, you kind of start wondering whether he ever will. Until he proves that he can, he’ll keep sliding on our list.

8. Alexander Bublik

ATP Rank: 17
ATP Race: 13

Yes, Bublik was a meme and a really good one at that, but the Kazakhstani player has been really strong for a while and it’s time to give him his flowers. He has a legitimate shot at making the ATP Finals, which is something you’d never think of him a few years ago. He’s won four ATP trophies this year, including one in Hangzhou recently, and if he keeps this level up he’ll be a wrecking ball during the indoor season. More than a deserved spot in the top 10.

9. Alex de Minaur

ATP Rank: 7
ATP Race: 7

Demon has been a pretty consistently good tennis player for a couple of years now. His improvement has been very Sinner-like in the sense that he improves bit by bit and adds to his game. He’s not quite there yet to be a top 5 player, but his consistency and ability to improve is what lands him in our top 10 with the potential to take it even further.

10. Lorenzo Musetti

ATP Rank: 9
ATP Race: 8

Another player who has had really strong performances in Asia so far is Lorenzo Musetti. He’s another player who is improving bit by bit, and because of that he deserves to be here. He should be a really strong dark horse contender to grab one of the trophies up for grabs in the coming weeks, but also to make the ATP Finals as he’s currently at number eight in the ATP Race to Turin.