The Grand Slams are over for another tennis year, but a couple of big prizes remain up for grabs for the big two in men\u2019s tennis.<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s<\/a> US Open final win against his great rival Jannik Sinner<\/a> earned him a sixth Grand Slam title at the tender age of 22 and in addition, there was an extra prize that came his way after his thrilling win in New York.<\/p>\n The world No 1 ranking had belonged to Sinner for more than a year and he even managed to hang onto the crown during his three-month ban following his positive doping test<\/a> for a banned anabolic steroid, with that suspension served earlier this year.<\/p>\n Sinner had a huge lead over Alcaraz after he beat the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final in July<\/a>, but that has evaporated after he lost two finals against his young rival in recent weeks.<\/p>\n The Italian was forced to retire in the Cincinnati Masters final<\/a> due to illness and was then beaten in the US Open final<\/a>, as all the points in dropped in those matches were added to Alcaraz\u2019s tally.<\/p>\n More Tennis News<\/p>\n How Jannik Sinner can learn from Carlos Alcaraz as he plots his next step<\/a><\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic \u2013 we reveal the real tennis rankings<\/a><\/p>\n That means Alcaraz heads into the Asian and indoor swings on the ATP Tour with a 760 point lead at the top of the rankings, but Sinner has limited scope to make up ground in the battle to seal the lucrative year-end No 1 rankings.<\/p>\n Sinner has 2,830 points to defend from his wins in Shanghai and at the end-of-season ATP Finals from the final weeks of 204 and by contrast, Alcaraz has just 1,000 points dropping off his record during the final weeks of this year.<\/p>\n If Alcaraz performs well as he defends his title in Beijing and performs well in the Shanghai Masters that follow, he will get close to closing the door on Sinner\u2019s hopes of reclaiming top spot in the rankings in 2025.<\/p>\n Sinner did not play at the Paris Masters last year, so he could add 1,000 points to his total by winning that event, but the key to this story could lie in the ATP Finals in Turin.<\/p>\n There are additional indoor ATP 500 events in Vienna and Basel at the back end of October that could allow Alcaraz and Sinner to gain extra points, but this race is all in Alcaraz\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n After a triumphant win in front of his home fans in the end-of-season tournament last year, Sinner has 1,500 points to defend in that event and Alcaraz will have just 200 points dropping off his total in that event.<\/p>\n So if Alcaraz has not already sealed the year-end world No 1 ranking by the time he plays in the ATP Finals, he may have a chance to seal the deal with some group stage wins in that event before he faces a potential final against Sinner.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really hard not to think about it,\u201d said Alcaraz, before he reclaimed the world No 1 title at the US Open.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time I step onto the court, I try not to focus too much on it. If I think about it too much, I\u2019ll put too much pressure on myself.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to show up on the court and do what I have to do each time, which is to meet my goals and win the match, while having as much fun as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n After being crowned as world No 1 again, Alcaraz stated: \u201cWhen you achieve the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, achieving that once again, it is a dream. Doing it the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better.\u201d<\/p>\n Alcaraz\u2019s motivation and form have dipped in recent years after the US Open, but he should be pumped to reach out for more as he battles with Sinner for the prized year-end No 1 ranking<\/a>.<\/p>\n