NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz officially returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time in two years on Monday, replacing Jannik Sinner there after beating him in the U.S. Open men's final, and Amanda Anisimova jumped five spots to a career-best No. 4 in the WTA after finishing as the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka.
“When you achieve the goals you set up (for) yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” Alcaraz said after winning his second title at Flushing Meadows and his sixth Grand Slam trophy.
“For me," he added, "(to) achieve that once again ... is a dream.”
Alcaraz moved up from No. 2 and swapped places with Sinner by virtue of a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over him in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.
Sinner had held No. 1 since making his debut there in June 2024, a 65-week stay.
Alcaraz first reached that spot in September 2022 at age 19 — making him the youngest No. 1 in ATP history — by claiming his first major championship at that year's U.S. Open. He relinquished that ranking in September 2023.
Alexander Zverev stayed at No. 3 on Monday, while Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champion who lost to Alcaraz in Friday's semifinals, went up three spots from No. 7 to No. 4.
Sabalenka was assured of remaining at No. 1 by getting to the quarterfinals in New York, then wound up collecting her second U.S. Open title in a row with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win Saturday over Anisimova, a 24-year-old American.
Anisimova's second consecutive runner-up run at a major — she lost to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final in July — allowed her to climb five spots from No. 9, part of a remarkable surge from outside the top 350 when she returned last season from a mental-health break.
Swiatek, eliminated in the U.S. Open quarterfinals by Anisimova, stayed at No. 2, followed by Coco Gauff.
Jessica Pegula slid from No. 4 to No. 7. She exited against Sabalenka in the semifinals last week, a year after losing to her in the U.S. Open final.
Naomi Osaka's first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2021 Australian Open — she lost Thursday to Anisimova in that round — carried her from No. 24 to No. 14. The four-time major champion and former No. 1 hadn't been in the top 20 since January 2022.
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis