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It was an eventful first quarter of the year on the ATP Tour. Carlos Alacaraz started the year as the No. 1 but was usurped by Novak Djokovic after the Serb won the Australian Open.
However, with the 22-time Grand Slam winner not participating in the Sunshine Double due to his COVID-19 vaccination status, Alcaraz seized the opportunity to move back to the top.
The Spaniard did so by winning the first Masters 1000 event of the year at Indian Wells, his second title of 2023 and the third Masters 1000 title of his career. However, Alcaraz needed to retain his Miami title to remain No. 1, which he failed to do, losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
That allowed Djokovic to displace the Spaniard at No. 1.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in 18 years after pulling out of Indian Wells and Miami due to injury. Not playing competitively since an early exit at the Australian Open, the legendary Spaniard dropped 12 places in the year's first quarter after starting at No. 2.
Elsewhere, there was significant movement in the top 100 in the first three months. Let's take a look at five such players:
#1 Stan Wawrinka - Up 60 places (No. 148 to No. 88)
Stan Wawrinka was the biggest mover in the first quarter of the year. Starting the season at No. 148, the three-time Grand Slam winner has compiled a 9-6 record to return to the top 100 (at No. 88).
The 38-year-old made the quarterfinals at Rotterdam and Doha before reaching the Round of 16 at Indian Wells (lost to Jannik Sinner). Wawrinka notably beat No. 8 Holger Rune to book a meeting with Sinner but went down to the Italian again after losing to him in the Rotterdam last eight.
#2 Yibing Wu - Up 56 places (No. 116 to No. 60)
Yibing Wu created history in Dallas this year, becoming the first Chinese player to win a singles title on the ATP Tour.
A week after losing the Cleveland Challenger final, the 23-year-old embarked on the most memorable week of his young career in Dallas. He downed Americans Taylor Fritz and John Isner in the last two rounds, even saving championship points in the final to win his first singles title.
Wu subsequently made the second round at Indian Wells and Miami as he eyes the top 50.
#3 Luca van Assche - Up 48 places (No. 139 to No. 91)
Luca van Assche is another notable mover up the ATP rankings in the first two months of the year.
The 18-year-old Dutchman is winless on the ATP Tour (0-3 this year, 0-4 overall) but has been on a tear on the Challenger Tour. He recently recorded back-to-back title runs in Pau (France) and Sanremo (Italy).
This has seen him soar into the top 100 of the ATP rankings, up nearly 50 places since the start of the year.
#4 Christopher Eubanks - Up 38 places (No. 123 to No. 85)
Christopher Eubanks had a memorable run at the recently concluded Miami Open.
Emerging from qualifying, the 26-year-old American reeled off four straight wins over Denis Kudla, Borna Coric, Gregoire Barrere and Adrian Mannarino to reach the last eight. In the quarterfinals, he went down in straight sets to eventual winner Daniil Medvedev.
That run saw him soar an impressive 34 places up the rankings to a career-best No. 85. His two other wins this year on the ATP Tour came in Auckland and the Australian Open.
#5 Jannik Sinner - Up 6 places (No. 15 to No. 9)
Jannik Sinner has been the epitome of consistency on the ATP Tour this season. The 21-year-old has won 21 of his 26 matches, with only Daniil Medvedev (29) winning more.
Sinner has made the Round of 16 in six of his seven stops this year - the only exception being Marseille - where he crashed out in the opening round. The Italian, who started the year at No. 15, made the Adelaide 1 quarterfinals before reaching the second week at the Australian Open.
Sinner returned to winning ways at Montpellier, where he secured his first title of the season (sixth overall). He made the final in Rotterdam, but the Italian's title defence was ended by Medvedev.
He then produced a sizzling campaign at the Sunshine Double. Sinner reeled off four straight wins at Indian Wells before losing to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz in the last four.
The Italian fared better in Miami, beating defending champion Alcaraz in the last four. However, his hopes of a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title were ended by Medvedev, who won his fourth title of the year.
Nevertheless, the run to the final run returned Sinner back to a career-best No. 9 in the ATP rankings. A win would have notably lifted him to No. 7.
