How Jannik Sinner’s doping ban backfired on his rivals Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz's career?

Tennis sensation Jannik Sinner has accepted the three-month doping ban after winning the Australian Open 2025 title earlier this year, but his ban seems to have fired back on his biggest rivals, the likes of Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.

The world number one seemed to have a significant advantage over his rivals in the ATP PIF rankings when the news broke of his suspension. His absence for three months created massive pressure on Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, who were aiming to take the top spot in the rankings but failed to do so and underperformed on the courts.

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Alexander Zverev might lose the world number two rank after the Madrid Open early exit!

Notably, world number two Alexander Zverev was very close to Jannik Sinner, and there was a real chance for this 27-year-old German star to claim the top spot in the rankings for the first time in his career. However, Zverev was even seen struggling to win the first and second-round matches after the first Grand Slam of the year. He faltered badly in Indian Wells, the Miami Masters, and the Monte Carlo Masters.

He accepted that his chase to claim the world's number-one spot has impacted his form. Zverev has faced defeat in the Madrid Open and is set to lose even his world number two ranking to Carlos Alcaraz.

“It was in the beginning. Now it’s less because I’m just playing terribly. So for me, I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become World No 1, you have to win tournaments. I’m not past getting first or second round at the moment,” Alexander Zverev said.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz has the chance to win almost every ATP tour, but he could only win the ABN AMRO Open 2025 and the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in Sinner's absence. Just a few days back, he also accepted that the chase for the world's number-one spot has created pressure on his mind and impacted his performance.

“A lot of people are asking me, or are telling me, that I have the chance to become No. 1 if Jannik is not playing. So probably that pressure has killed me in some way. I’m not surprised. The people always say that we have to win the tournaments or the top people have to be there all the time playing finals or winning tournaments,” Carlos Alcaraz said