Former world No 1 Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top five in the ATP rankings released Monday while Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz, seen by many to be his compatriot’s successor, soared 17 places to 38.
Nadal has not played since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals due to a foot injury and now sits sixth in the rankings.
Djokovic comfortably retains the No 1 spot despite his defeat to second-ranked Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s US Open final.
Medvedev’s predecessor as US Open champion, Dominic Thiem, is another to slide down the rankings, from six to eight.