Honestly, if you took a nap during the 2024 season and just woke up now in January 2026, you'd be forgiven for feeling a bit of vertigo. The leaderboard looks familiar, yet the points gap tells a story of a sport that has fundamentally shifted gears.
Right now, Carlos Alcaraz is sitting at the summit of the ATP rankings. He’s the undisputed king of the men’s game with 12,050 points. It’s not just a number; it’s a barricade. He has built a lead that makes the rest of the tour look like they’re chasing a gazelle with a head start.
Over on the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka has firmly planted her flag at World No. 1. She’s currently sitting on 10,990 points, holding off Iga Świątek after a 2025 season where she basically decided that "consistency" was her new favorite word.
Who is number 1 tennis player in the world right now?
The rankings as of January 12, 2026, show a fascinating divide between the "Big Two" in the men's game and the "Big Three" in the women's game. Carlos Alcaraz isn't just winning; he's dominating the surface transitions in a way we haven't seen since the prime years of the Big Three. He recently voiced his obsession with completing the Career Grand Slam at the upcoming Australian Open, which is really the only thing missing from his resume at this point.
The ATP Top 5 (Men’s Singles)
- Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) – 12,050 points
- Jannik Sinner (Italy) – 11,500 points
- Alexander Zverev (Germany) – 5,105 points
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) – 4,780 points
- Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) – 4,105 points
Look at that gap. The distance between Sinner at No. 2 and Zverev at No. 3 is more than 6,000 points. That is wild. It effectively means Alcaraz and Sinner are playing a different sport than everyone else. While Novak Djokovic is still incredibly dangerous—ranking at No. 4 at nearly 39 years old—the week-to-week grind is now a young man's game.
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Then you have Lorenzo Musetti, who has had a massive surge. He jumped into the top 5 after a brilliant run at the start of the 2026 season, including a final in Hong Kong. It’s sort of a changing of the guard, but the guard at the very top is made of iron.
The WTA Top 5 (Women’s Singles)
- Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) – 10,990 points
- Iga Świątek (Poland) – 8,328 points
- Coco Gauff (USA) – 6,423 points
- Amanda Anisimova (USA) – 6,320 points
- Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) – 5,850 points
Sabalenka is the story here. After defending her US Open title in late 2025, she entered 2026 with all the momentum. She’s already won Brisbane this year without dropping a single set. Iga Świątek is still her primary shadow, but a few tough losses to top-10 opponents in late 2025 have left her playing catch-up.
What’s really cool is seeing Amanda Anisimova at No. 4. She’s been through so much, and seeing her back at a career-high ranking is one of those feel-good tennis stories that actually has the stats to back it up. She’s a legitimate threat to win a Slam this year.
Why the rankings feel different in 2026
The points system is a 52-week rolling window. If you win a big tournament, you’re basically "defending" those points a year later.
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Alcaraz is in a position where he has so many points banked from 2025 (winning multiple Slams) that he could almost skip a month and still stay No. 1. Sinner is right there, though. The two of them have created a rivalry that is essentially keeping the rest of the top 10 at arm's length.
For the women, the power game has taken over. Sabalenka and Rybakina have forced everyone else to hit harder and serve bigger. Even Świątek, the queen of clay, has had to adjust her hard-court game to deal with the sheer velocity coming from the other side of the net.
Surprises in the Top 10
The real shocker for some might be Alexander Bublik cracking the top 10. He’s currently World No. 10. He won Hong Kong to start the year and has finally found the discipline to match his "trick shot" talent.
On the flip side, Daniil Medvedev has slipped to No. 12. He’s had a bit of a title drought, though he did win Brisbane recently, so he’s clawing his way back. It just goes to show how fast things move. One bad injury or a couple of early exits in the Masters 1000s and you’re suddenly out of the elite circle.
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The Doubles Kings and Queens
People often forget about the doubles, but the rankings there are just as cutthroat.
- Men’s Doubles No. 1: Lloyd Glasspool (8,420 points)
- Women’s Doubles No. 1: Kateřina Siniaková (8,780 points)
Siniaková is basically a permanent fixture at the top of the doubles world at this point. She’s one of the most decorated players in the history of the format. In the men's game, the British pair of Glasspool and Julian Cash have been cleaning up, holding the top two spots respectively.
How to track the "Live" Number 1
If you're checking who is number 1 tennis player in the world during a Grand Slam like the Australian Open, the "official" rankings won't change until the tournament ends. However, "Live Rankings" update after every single match.
Pro Tip: If Alcaraz loses in an early round and Sinner wins the tournament, Sinner could theoretically leapfrog him. This "Live Ranking" drama is what makes the second week of Slams so tense for the players' boxes.
Key Takeaways for 2026
- Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are the titans to beat.
- The gap between the top 2 men and the rest of the field is historically large.
- Jannik Sinner is the only person within striking distance of Alcaraz's No. 1 spot.
- Coco Gauff is looming at No. 3, having recently beaten Świątek at the United Cup, signaling she’s ready for another leap.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the points being defended during the "Sunshine Double" (Indian Wells and Miami) in March. That is usually where the biggest ranking shakeups happen because the points available are huge and the conditions are brutal. If you're following the race for the year-end No. 1, these next three months will set the entire tone for the season.
Watch the match results from the current week's tournaments in Adelaide and Hobart; while they won't topple the No. 1 spot today, they determine the crucial seedings for the next major. High seedings mean easier draws, and easier draws are the secret sauce to staying at the top of the mountain.