There have been many changes in the ATP rankings this year. New players have joined the top five and top 10 rankings throughout the season. There was a constant battle for the top position between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, which was settled last month. While the ATP Tour rankings have been predictable, the Universal Tennis Rating shows a different scenario.
The UTR works on a player’s skill on a single 16-point scale. It focuses on an objective and accurate index of a player on the tour. The UTR looks at the recent matches and gives a rating to the player. Rafael Nadal has a higher UTR rating than Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev. The Spaniard has not played a match in 11 months but still has a higher rating than his rivals.
Nadal has secured a rating of 16.26, while Alcaraz is just below with 16.24. Meanwhile, Rublev received a rating of 16.18 for his performance this year. Nadal has only played four matches this year, while Alcaraz has played 77 matches and Rublev has played 82 matches. The UTR for the past three months for Alcaraz is 16.19, and the Russian has a rating of 16.17.
Carlos Alcaraz gets praise from former player for being courageous against Novak Djokovic
The ATP Tour has been dominated by Djokovic this season, with 56 wins and seven losses. He won seven titles, including three Grand Slam trophies. The Serbian only lost a single grand slam match this season against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. The young Spaniard ended Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at the event and his 45-match winning streak at center court.
The clashes against Djokovic have made Alcaraz a better player on tour. He received praise from Feliciano Lopez for being courageous in matches against world No. 1. Lopez said that Alcaraz always plays matches at a very demanding level and takes on more pressure than the other players. The former player said the 20-year-old has been doing exceedingly well for his age.
Carlos Alcaraz and Feliciano Lopez. (Credits- X)
Lopez mentioned that Alcaraz does not fear facing the Serbian and has matured as a player to play his best against Djokovic. World No. 2 currently has two wins in five matches against Djokovic and is expected to increase their level of tennis next season. Alcaraz will try hard to regain the top position in the rankings as soon as the matches in the 2024 season start in January.