Since Jannik Sinner’s suspension, the ATP Tour has turned into a carousel with no conductor. Thirteen tournaments, thirteen different champions — and not a single man able to rise above the pack. The absence of the Italian world No. 1 has left a vacuum, and no one seems capable of filling it.
Carlos Alcaraz, once tipped to be Sinner’s greatest rival, hasn’t won a title since Rotterdam — the same week Jannik began serving his ban. Without his nemesis, Alcaraz has looked lost. Even his former coach Kiko Navarro recently criticized him, calling him "brilliant but unfocused," a player who used to forget water bottles and rackets as a child, and now struggles to stay mentally locked in.
Then there’s Alexander Zverev, ranked No. 2 and technically the only player with a chance to overtake Sinner before his expected return in Rome. But it would require a flawless run — winning Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Munich. A tall order for someone whose last strong showing came in January, when he lost to Sinner in the Australian Open final.
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Daniil Medvedev is also off track. After crashing out in the first round of Miami, he dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in over two years. Clay isn’t his comfort zone either — his lone title on the surface came in Rome, ironically, last year. Novak Djokovic, now 37 and ranked fifth, was also stunned in Miami by teenager Jakub Mensik. His last title dates back to the Tokyo Olympics, and time may finally be catching up with the Serbian legend.
The ATP Tour, without Sinner, feels like a kingdom without a ruler. Order is missing, and challengers are faltering. But one thing is certain: even in silence, Sinner’s shadow still looms large over everyone else.
