A weeklong look at the year-end standings closed with a clear conclusion: two players set the tempo for the 2025 men’s season. Carlos Alcaraz ended the year as ATP No. 1 with 12,050 points and Jannik Sinner finished No. 2 with 11,500. The distance from No. 2 to No. 3 was 6,340 points, a gap large enough that it “could be ranked No. 3 itself,” as Alexander Zverev sat at No. 3 with 5,160 points.

Alcaraz added his fifth and sixth Grand Slam titles this year at Roland Garros and the US Open, and his 12,050 points mark the first season of 12,000 or more since Novak Djokovic in 2020 (12,030). It is also the highest single-season total since Andy Murray’s 12,410 in 2016. Notably, 88 percent of Alcaraz’s points (10,640) were earned between April and November, leaving just 1,410 points, or 12 percent, to defend in the opening months of the next season.

Sinner’s consistency stood out as well. After 11,830 points last year and 11,500 this year, he is the first man to finish consecutive seasons with 11,000 or more points since Djokovic in 2020 (12,030) and 2021 (11,540). Together, Alcaraz and Sinner largely dominated the biggest events: between them they won eight of the nine largest ATP point hauls of the season and 13 of the 19 events that awarded 1,000 points or more.

As a pair they are the first two men to both finish a single season with at least 11,000 points, or even 10,000, since 2016 when Murray had 12,410 and Djokovic had 11,780. One final note: Alcaraz, Sinner and Zverev finished 2025 as the year-end Nos. 1, 2 and 3 and finished 2024 as Nos. 3, 1 and 2, respectively, making them just the second trio this century to occupy the year-end top three in back-to-back years together in any order. The other trio achieved that feat seven times.

A five-day review of year-end rankings highlighted several storylines from the ATP and WTA; the final entry focuses on a rare one-two hold at the top of the men’s game. Carlos Alcaraz closed 2025 as the ATP No. 1 with 12,050 ranking points and Jannik Sinner finished No. 2 with 11,500. The separation from there to No. 3 was 6,340 points, with Alexander Zverev at No. 3 on 5,160.

Alcaraz’s season included his fifth and sixth Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open. His 12,050 points mark the first time a man has finished a season with 12,000 or more since Novak Djokovic in 2020 (12,030) and is the largest single-season total since Andy Murray’s 12,410 in 2016. Remarkably, 88 percent of Alcaraz’s total (10,640 points) was earned between April and November, leaving only 1,410 points, or 12 percent, to defend in the opening months of next year.

Sinner’s year also continued an elite run. After 11,830 points last year and 11,500 this year, he is the first man to finish back-to-back seasons with 11,000 or more points since Djokovic’s 12,030 and 11,540 in 2020 and 2021. Together, Alcaraz and Sinner won eight of the nine biggest ATP ranking point events of the season and 13 of the 19 events that awarded 1,000 points or more.

As a pair they are the first two men to both finish a single season with 11,000 or more points, or even 10,000 or more, since 2016 when Murray had 12,410 and Djokovic had 11,780. One final note: Alcaraz, Sinner and Zverev finished 2025 as the year-end Nos. 1, 2 and 3 and finished 2024 as Nos. 3, 1 and 2 in that order, making them just the second trio this century to occupy the year-end top three in back-to-back years together in any order. The other trio achieved that feat seven times.

Carlos Alcaraz’s year on tour delivered few on-court setbacks, but his changing hairstyles provided plenty of conversation off court. What began at the US Open in August with a headline-grabbing buzzcut evolved into a platinum-blonde transformation two weeks after that, and players were quick to weigh in throughout the season.

Ahead of his New York campaign, Alcaraz decided not to fly his personal barber, Victor Martínez, to the tournament as he had at Roland Garros. He instead trusted a close shave to his brother Álvaro, who “misunderstood the machine.” The result prompted the world No. 1 to walk onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for his first-round match against Reilly Opelka with a buzzcut “down to his skull.” Alcaraz later conceded, “The only way to fix it is just to shave it off.” He was nonetheless dismissive of the fuss, calling the trim “not that bad.”

His peers were less forgiving. Frances Tiafoe offered a withering appraisal and then softened it with affection.

“I mean, it’s definitely terrible. He’s my guy though. It’s funny. I looked at him and I was like, I guess you’re aerodynamic.

Juan Carlos “Mosquito” was laughing. He was like, ‘Yeah, he’s faster than he already was.’ I was like, ‘Well, that’s a problem.’

Yeah, I don’t know who told him that it’s good. I don’t know who told him to do that, but it’s terrible. From a guy who gets haircuts week in, week out, and prides myself on good haircuts, it’s horrendous.

At the end of the day, it’s Carlos, and that’s my guy. But yeah, he needs to get with me. He needs to get with me for sure. Frances Tiafoe”

After defeating Jannik Sinner to earn his second US Open title, Alcaraz allowed his buzzcut to grow out and then debuted a striking platinum dye job. Two weeks later at the Laver Cup, opinion among players was split: some knew about the change early, others remained skeptical, but the consensus was clear—Alcaraz’s hair had become one of the season’s most talked-about topics. Take it from Alex Michelsen.