Alexander Zverev has moved closer to Jannik Sinner in the battle for World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings after winning his second major title at the US Open.
The German remains at No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but the gap to Sinner has narrowed to 1,810 points. With two months of the season remaining, the points each player has to defend could play an important role in how the battle develops.
Zverev is defending just 1,080 points through the end of the season, compared to 3,550 for Sinner. That means there will be several key moments in the coming weeks when points come off the pair's totals, potentially bringing them closer together in the PIF ATP Rankings and giving Zverev an opportunity to push towards the top of men's tennis' mountain.
Sinner has 500 points to defend in Beijing, 50 in Shanghai, 500 in Vienna, 1,000 in Paris and 1,500 at the Nitto ATP Finals, having triumphed at all of those events but Shanghai in 2025. Zverev, meanwhile, has 100 points to defend in Beijing, 50 in Shanghai, 330 in Vienna, 400 in Paris and 200 at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Both players have just 50 points to defend at the upcoming ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in October, when they both lost in the third round last season. A deep run for either in China could therefore prove critical in the No. 1 battle.
The Rolex Paris Masters could create another big swing in early November. Sinner is defending the 1,000 points he earned by winning the title last year, while Zverev is defending 400 points, having fallen to Sinner in the semi-finals.
The final major points drop of the season comes at the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner was undefeated in Turin last year when he claimed his second consecutive title, earning 1,500 points. Zverev won one round-robin match for 200 points. If the pair remain close in the PIF ATP Rankings heading into November, the Finals could therefore become a significant stage in the battle for World No. 1.
When Zverev's 2025 Beijing points drop, he will add 40 points from this year's United Cup. That event currently is a non-countable event for him in his rankings breakdown. But if Zverev earns more than 40 points in Beijing, he would then replace those points again.
Zverev is chasing a landmark achievement: becoming the 30th player in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings to reach World No. 1. Sinner is looking to finish the season at the summit for the second time. The Italian earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours in 2024 and has spent 90 weeks at World No. 1.
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