Carlos Alcaraz among five big names in danger of a big rankings collapse during the clay court season
A handful of players are in danger of suffering big rankings falls over the next few weeks, with the clay court season gathering in momentum ahead of the French Open in Paris next month.
With huge numbers of ranking points dropping off the records of some players and some of their rivals collecting fresh points, the rankings could have a very different look by the time the final ball is struck in the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros.
Here is your Tennis365 guide to the players who will be dropping ranking points over the next few weeks:
Carlos Alcaraz
Current ranking: No 2
The defending French Open champion has confirmed he will not be defending his title at Roland Garros due to the wrist injury he picked up playing at the Barcelona Open.
That setback will see Alcaraz drop 1,000 points from his win at the Rome Masters last year and another 2,000 points from his French Open win last June.
The good news for Alcaraz is that he has a huge ranking points advantage over world No 3 Alexander Zverev in the ATP Rankings, so Alcaraz should still be world No 2 when he returns, even if he is forced to miss the grass court season.
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Jasmine Paolini
Current ranking: No 9
This Italian enjoyed the best moment of her career as a singles player when she won the Italian Open in front of her home fans in Rome last year.
Sadly, Paolini does not appear to be playing the kind of tennis she will need to retain that title and the 1,000 points dropping off her ranking will see her position slide.
Paolini also has plenty of points to defend after a run to the last-16 at the Frnech Open and there has to be a big chance she will drop out of top 10 of the WTA Rankings.
Lois Boisson
Current ranking: No 46
The hero of last year’s French Open for the home fans, Boisson’s incredible run to the semi-finals transformed her career.
She has been struggling with injuries throughout 2026 and even though she made a comeback at the Madrid Open, her swift defeat against Peyton Stearns confirmed she is a long way from her best.
Boisson won 780 ranking points at Roland Garros last year and she could drop out of the top 150 in the rankings unless she finds fitness and form quickly.
Tommy Paul
Current ranking: No 18
This American enjoyed some impressive form on clay courts last year, reaching the semi-final at the Italian Open and quarter-finals at the French Open.
That means Paul has plenty of ranking points to defend over the next few weeks, with his win at the US clay court championship in Houston earlier this month boosting his points total.
If he doesn’t perform well in Rome and Paris, Paul will drop out of the top 20 of the ATP Rankings.
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Jack Draper
Current ranking: 28
Draper has confirmed he is out of next week’s Italian Open and also the French Open and that means he is set to drop out of the top 100 of the ATP Rankings.
It is an alarming slide for a player who was up to No 4 in the rankings a year ago, with his injury problems since then derailing his career.
A long-term arm problem was backed up by a knee injury while playing in the Barcelona Open and Draper will now hope to kick-start his career on grass courts in June.