ATP standings before tonight’s Cincinnati Open men’s final: Sinner and Tiafoe’s rankings

Janik Sinner’s win in the Cincinnati Masters semifinals secured his debut in the final and guaranteed his first-place ranking in the world after the US Open. Additionally, his victory saved Djokovic’s number 2 position on the ATP list for what’s left of the tennis season.

Of course, for someone to win, someone has to lose. The big loser in the semifinals of Cincinnati is Alexander Zverev. If he had won the title at this Masters, he would have immediately surpassed Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the world rankings and become the second seed at Flushing Meadows. If he had defeated Siner, he would have had some chances, albeit more theoretical than realistic, to become the number one tennis player in the world after the US Open.

In the match, the Italian won 7-6 (11-9), 5-7, 7-6 (7-4). However, he may face consequences due to his previous hip, tonsil, and overall health issues. He had to give up in Madrid, couldn’t play in Rome, and struggled with his hip in Montreal. He also had to skip the Olympics because of problems with his tonsils. Thus, his current physical condition is not at its best.

The young Italian has reached the tournament final (where he will face Tiafoe). Last year, he lost to Dušan Lajović in the second round and won only 10 points. Now, he has an excellent opportunity to extend his lead on the world rankings list.

If he wins the title (the match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Eastern time), he will increase his lead over second-placed Djokovic to 2,300 points. If he loses to Francis Tiafoe, his lead will be reduced to 1,950 points.

Sinner has a chance to win the third Masters title of his career and the second this year (Miami). He previously won in Toronto last summer.