Jannik Sinner, Australian Open forgotten: the (possible) plan to return #1 ATP

Jannik Sinner is aiming to put the disappointment of the Australian Open behind him by planning his upcoming events. And, despite his defeat in the Melbourne semifinals in an authentic marathon against Novak Djokovic, the coming months will provide the Highlander with several golden opportunities to take back the No. 1 ATP ranking over friend-rival Carlos Alcaraz. Calendar in hand, the rest of the winter and all of spring 2026 will be decisive in seeking and possibly achieving the mission. Which, in more than just theoretical lines, seems broadly possible.

Marco Enzo Venturini

The reason is quickly stated: the 2026 season will allow Sinner to participate in tournaments he had had to skip in 2025 because of the controversial suspension for the so-called “Clostebol” case. This will allow him to accumulate in the ATP ranking as many points, which will replace as many “zero” inherited from the stop a year ago. That includes the ’ATP 500 in Doha, the next event in the South Tyrolean’s season. And where Alcaraz will have to defend last year&#8217s 100 points. However, the Spaniard will also lose the 500 he won last season in Rotterdam.

Alcaraz has already announced that he won&#8217t be in Holland, but other points he will see reset are the 1,000 he won last year by winning the Monte Carlo Masters, but also the 400 from Indian Wells and the 10 he got in his brief appearance at the Miami Open. These are all tournaments that Sinner did not play in 2025, having returned to action at the Internazionali d’Italia. In a direct confrontation with the Spaniard, therefore, he has everything to gain and literally nothing to lose. And, considering that the two are currently separated by 2,850 lengths, the’hypothesis of overtaking is anything but to be discarded.

Between now and his return to Rome for the 2026 Internazionali, in fact, Alcaraz must defend 2,340 points from Sinner&#8217s assault, but then he will also see the 2,000 he gained at Roland Garros reset to zero thanks to his Paris triumph dated 2025. That is why the transalpine Slam, scheduled May 24 to June 7, represents the possible occasion when the San Candido outfielder could put the arrow in and return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings. Clearly, his path between now and then, which also includes the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000 in March, will have to feature a good string of victories.

Sinner, after his bitter elimination at the Australian Open, had in fact relaunched his ambitions while not listing his upcoming engagements and the viable chase to the top of the ATP ranking. “It was not my day, but I gave it my all – he had written warmly on his own social channels, accompanying the message with a photo of himself on the court, bow-headed -. Congratulations Novak Djokovic, it is always an honor to share the court with you. Thank you all for the support over the past two weeks. The work continues. See you soon”.

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The ATP 500 tournament in Doha, then, will be the second chapter of a season in which Jannik Sinner wants to be back where he&#8217s already been for half of 2024 and a good part of 2025, that is, ahead of everyone in the world rankings. The disappointment in Australia certainly needs to be digested, but Jannik is not one for emotional tears: the certainty is that he will arrive in Qatar with a new hunger, like a true number one.