After winning his fourth title of the ATP Tour-leading season at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz is challenging Rafael Nadal for the lead in the Pepperstone ATP Race Turin.
Alcaraz is now second in the race, just 70 points behind Nadal. Earlier this week, the 19-year-old claimed his first victory over Nadal in the Madrid semifinals.
Nadal will have a chance to extend his lead at the Internazionale BNL d’Italia in Rome after Alcaraz said he would not be competing at the Foro Italico. But Alcaraz has a 570-point lead over third-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas. This means that Alcaraz will remain second in the Roland Garros race until Tsitsipas reaches the final in Rome.
The Pepperstone ATP Race to Turin represents a year-round situation, but Alcaraz is also making big moves in the Pepperstone ATP rankings. On Monday, the Spanish teen will climb to career-high world number 6. Entering the same week last year, he was ranked 114th in the world and yet he did not make it into the top 100.
Former World No. 1 Jim Courier, who broadcast the Madrid final for the Tennis Channel, said: “It is very, very possible that Alcaraz could finish the World No. 1 this year.”
