Overview

• Carlos Alcaraz, now world No. 1, is confirmed for the Laver Cup in San Francisco before making his Tokyo ATP 500 debut, with both stars expected at the Shanghai Masters.
• Jannik Sinner returns in Beijing, where he has strong results, as he looks to chip away at the gap after losing the US Open final and the top ranking.
• Tennis365 reports Alcaraz leads by roughly 760 points and faces about 1,000 points dropping, while Sinner must defend about 2,830 including 1,500 from last year’s ATP Finals.
• Analysts and former players such as John Isner and Sam Querrey tip Alcaraz to complete a Career Grand Slam first, citing his next opportunity at the Australian Open and hard‑court form.
• The pair have split the last eight majors, Alcaraz leads their head‑to‑head 10–5 with a 7–2 edge on hard courts, and one analysis notes only six total points separate them across 15 meetings, even as Novak Djokovic concedes best‑of‑five against them has become a major hurdle.