By Roberto Ferri
Today history is made. On 24th October 2022, for the first time since ATP introduced computerized rankings in 1973 a Chinese player is featured in the Top 100.
The 97th position is occupied by Zhizhen Zhang, a 26-year-old who started the season at No. 321. Thanks to the quarterfinal he reached last week in the ATP 250 in Naples has accomplished a remarkable feat.
Will Zhang just be a rare bird or will he be the first of many who will follow in his steps? Wu Yibing, the 23-year-old who made it to the third round of the 2022 US Open is edging closer and closer to the Top 100 as well. Considering the potential of the Chinese market, tennis sponsors and managers are likely to be getting the champagne ready.
Seven other players in the Top 100 achieved their career high this week. Among them, young guns Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune, winners of the tournaments in Naples and Stockholm respectively, and Jack Draper. The Brit is set for a tough challenge today when he plays Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
BEST RANKING
| Musetti | 23 | Italy |
| Rune | 25 | Denmark |
| Kecmanovic | 28 | Serbia |
| Nishioka | 37 | Japan |
| Draper | 45 | GB |
| Cachin | 55 | Argentina |
| Galan | 68 | Colombia |
| Zhang | 97 | China |
TOP 20
No massive turmoil has occurred in the Top 20. But fireworks are surely going to blast off in the ATP 500 in Basel and Vienna which kick off today before the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 scheduled next week.
- Felix Auger-Aliassime has leapfrogged Taylor Fritz and grabbed 9th place.
- Matteo Berrettini has recovered two positions and is 14th.
- Arithmetic has tugged Nick Kyrgios back in the Top 20 and ousted Diego Schwartzman.
Alexander Zverev, who has been missing since his injury at Roland Garros, is still holding onto sixth position. Imagine where he would be standing if he had been playing.
| Position | Player | Country | Pts | +/- |
| 1 | Alcaraz | Spain | 6730 | |
| 2 | Nadal | Spain | 5810 | |
| 3 | Ruud | Norway | 5600 | |
| 4 | Medvedev | Russia | 5155 | |
| 5 | Tsitsipas | Greece | 5035 | |
| 6 | Zverev | Germany | 4860 | |
| 7 | Djokovic | Serbia | 4320 | |
| 8 | Rublev | Russia | 3685 | |
| 9 | Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 3315 | 1 |
| 10 | Fritz | USA | 3195 | -1 |
| 11 | Hurkacz | Poland | 3130 | |
| 12 | Sinner | Italy | 2700 | |
| 13 | Norrie | GB | 2490 | 1 |
| 14 | Berrettini | Italy | 2465 | 2 |
| 15 | Carreno Busta | Spain | 2405 | |
| 16 | Cilic | Croatia | 2390 | |
| 17 | Tiafoe | USA | 2240 | |
| 18 | Khachanov | Russia | 1945 | 1 |
| 19 | Shapovalov | Canada | 1925 | 1 |
| 20 | Kyrgios | Australia | 1870 | 1 |
NITTO ATP FINALS RACE TO TURIN
Alcaraz, Nadal, Tsitsipas, Ruud and Djokovic have already booked their spot in Turin; the last three places and the two reserves will be decided by the ATP 500 events scheduled this week in Basel and Vienna, as well as the ATP Master 1000 in Paris starting on October 31st.
Thanks to the 250 points he earned in Antwerp, Felix Auger Aliassime has consolidated his seventh position. Matteo Berrettini, runner-up in Naples, has moved up two positions to No. 13.
Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Rublev, Fritz, Hurkacz, Norrie and Sinner will be playing in Vienna.
Alcaraz, Ruud, Auger-Aliassime and Carreno Busta will be playing in Basel.
| Position | Player | Country | Pts | +/- |
| 1 | Alcaraz | Spain | 6460 | |
| 2 | Nadal | Spain | 5810 | |
| 3 | Tsitsipas | Greece | 4990 | 1 |
| 4 | Ruud | Norway | 4930 | -1 |
| 5 | Medvedev | Russia | 3555 | |
| 6 | Rublev | Russia | 3440 | |
| 7 | Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 3225 | |
| 8 | Fritz | USA | 2885 | |
| 9 | Hurkacz | Poland | 2770 | |
| 10 | Djokovic | Serbia | 2720 | |
| 11 | Zverev | Germany | 2700 | |
| 12 | Norrie | GB | 2400 | |
| 13 | Berrettini | Italy | 2375 | 2 |
| 14 | Carreno Busta | Spain | 2360 | -1 |
| 15 | Sinner | Italy | 2310 | -1 |
Translated by Kingsley Elliot Kaye
