PARIS, France (AFP) — Jannik Sinner’s anticipated rise to world No.1 was formalized when the ATP released its new rankings, making him the first Italian ever to hold the top spot.

Sinner reached the semifinals of the French Open where he was beaten by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, who climbed to second, nudging 37-year-old Djokovic, who has been No. 1 since last September, down to third.

Djokovic holds the record for the number of weeks spent at No. 1 — his tally of 428 is 118 weeks more than next best Roger Federer.

The German Alexander Zverev, who was runner-up to Alcaraz in Paris, remains in fourth place, ahead of Russian pair Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

Meanwhile, French Open champion Iga Swiatek cemented her place at the top of the women’s game with her victory at Roland Garros, reinforcing her position as world No. 1.

The 23-year-old Pole beat Jasmine Paolini in a one-sided final on Saturday to claim a fourth French Open title which now puts her 3,707 points ahead of Coco Gauff, the woman she beat in the semifinals in Paris.

Apart from a few weeks in autumn 2023 when Aryna Sabalenka took over, Swiatek has been at the top of the rankings since April 2022, a total of 107 weeks.

Gauff’s performance, which improved in her quarter-final in 2023, enabled her to leapfrog the Kazakh Aryna Sabalenka, who slipped to third.

Paolini’s run to her first Grand Slam final was good enough to lift her eight places to a career-high seventh while 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who fell to the Italian in the semis, jumped 15 places from 38 to 23.

Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, who reached the semi-finals last year, went down six places to No.20 after going out in the first round this time.