Carlos Alcaraz first reached world No. 1 on September 12, 2022, at 19 years and four months, the youngest man ever to hold the top ranking. He has spent 66 weeks there across three separate stints and finished two seasons as year end No. 1. He is currently ranked third behind Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, though he is seeded second at the US Open.
| Year | Year end ranking | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Around No. 490 | First professional matches at 16, including a Challenger win over Sinner in Alicante |
| 2020 | No. 141 | ATP Newcomer of the Year after a 350 spot jump |
| 2021 | No. 32 | First tour title in Umag, quarterfinal run at the US Open at 18 |
| 2022 | No. 1 | Won Miami, Madrid and the US Open, took the top ranking on September 12 at 19 |
| 2023 | No. 2 | Regained No. 1 in March and held it into September, won Wimbledon |
| 2024 | No. 3 | Won the French Open and Wimbledon but Sinner took over at the top |
| 2025 | No. 1 | Eight titles, two majors, reclaimed No. 1 with the US Open title in September |
| 2026 | No. 3 currently | Won the Australian Open, lost the top ranking to Sinner after the Monte Carlo final in April, then missed four months with a wrist injury |
How He Got to No. 1 the First Time
The 2022 US Open final was a winner takes all match for the ranking. Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud in four sets and moved to the top the next morning at 19 years and four months, breaking Lleyton Hewitt’s record as the youngest man to hold the position and becoming the first teenager ever to do it.
The Three Stints
His first run lasted from September 2022 until late January 2023, when Novak Djokovic took it back. He regained it in March 2023 after winning Indian Wells and held it into September of that year. The third run started in September 2025 when he won the US Open, and it carried through the 2025 year end and into 2026 until Sinner beat him in the Monte Carlo final that April.
Where the Race Stands
Sinner has been the more consistent points earner in 2026 at 44-3 with six titles, and he holds No. 1 with 87 career weeks there. Zverev won the French Open and reached the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz has played only 29 matches this year because of the wrist injury, which is the main reason he sits third despite winning the Australian Open. A deep US Open run, and especially a title defense, would move him back up quickly.