Zverev passes Alcaraz for World No. 2, battle just getting started

Alexander Zverev overtook Carlos Alcaraz for No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings on Sunday, but the battle for the position is just beginning.

The German won the BMW Open by Bitpanda to give himself a five-point edge ahead of the Spaniard. Had Alcaraz defeated Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final, the Spaniard would have retained World No. 2.

Instead, one week after taking it from Zverev, they have flipped places once more. That is something that could happen again multiple times in the coming weeks.

PIF ATP Live Rankings

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World No. 2 will be up for grabs again at the Mutua Madrid Open, the fourth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. Zverev is defending 100 points in Madrid, and Alcaraz 200 points. Every match could prove pivotal.

Although Alcaraz will defend 2,000 points at the end of the clay-court season at Roland Garros, Zverev is the player with more points set to drop from his rankings breakdown during the rest of this swing. Last year, the 27-year-old triumphed in Rome, where Alcaraz did not compete.

Through the end of Roland Garros, Zverev is defending 2,400 points compared to 2,200 points for Alcaraz.

Holger Rune climbed to No. 9 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings with his efforts in Barcelona, where he lifted his first trophy of the season.

The Dane returns to the Top 10 Monday for the first time since the second week of April last year. He will be in good position to climb even higher in Madrid, since No. 8 Andrey Rublev is defending champion and will drop 1,000 points after the event.

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