Carlos Alcaraz kisses the trophy after defeating Alex de Minaur in the mens singles final match at the Queens Club tennis tournament in London on Sunday.

From Wire Reports

Carlos Alcaraz replaced Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, meaning the 20-year-old Spaniard is expected to have the top seeding at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is coming off the first grass-court title of his career, which he won Sunday by beating Alex De Minaur in the final at Queen’s Club in London, and that helped him rise one spot from No. 2.

Djokovic, who picked up his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open this month, chose not to play any tuneup tournaments on grass ahead of Wimbledon and slid down one place.

It is the sixth time the No. 1 ranking has switched in 2023, the most since it happened seven times in 2018.

Play begins at Wimbledon on July 3.

The All England Club will announce the men’s and women’s seeds Wednesday and is expected to simply follow the ATP and WTA rankings for those 32 berths in each 128-player singles draw. That would put Alcaraz and the leading woman, Iga Swiatek, in the top line of each bracket.

Swiatek remained at No. 1 — as she has for every week since first climbing to that position in April 2022 — on Monday, a little more than two weeks after she won the French Open for the third time. Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka kept her hold on No. 2, and defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is at No. 3. Jessica Pegula moved up to No. 4, switching with No. 5 Caroline Garcia.

Wimbledon’s seedings used to be based on a formula that took into account players’ recent success there and at other events contested on grass courts. But with only the rankings mattering now, there is the unusual situation of even last year’s results at the All England Club not mattering — because the ATP and WTA chose to withhold all rankings points that would have been earned at Wimbledon in 2022 to protest the club’s decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine.

That war continues, but the club is allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete this time.

Djokovic has won Wimbledon each of the past four times it was held — in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022; the tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic — and seven times in all.

“I mean, Novak is the main favorite to win Wimbledon. That’s obvious,” Alcaraz said. “But I will try to play at this level, to have chances to beat him or make the final at Wimbledon.”

If they are indeed seeded Nos. 1 and 2, Alcaraz and Djokovic could meet only in the championship match on July 16. At Roland Garros, Alcaraz was the No. 1 seed for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, while Djokovic was No. 3, and they were drawn to meet in the semifinals. The first two sets were terrific, but then Alcaraz faded because of full-body cramps he attributed, at least in part, to tension, and Djokovic took the last two sets 6-1, 6-1 on the way to the trophy.

There was no other major change in the men’s rankings Monday, with Daniil Medvedev still at No. 3, followed by Casper Ruud at No. 4 and Stefanos Tsitsipas at No. 5. Taylor Fritz, who is from California, and Frances Tiafoe, who is from Maryland, were at Nos. 9-10, remaining the first pair of American men in the top 10 in more than a decade.

Kingston Heath to get next Presidents Cup in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Presidents Cup is headed Down Under for the fourth time, this time to Kingston Heath for the 2028 matches.

Kingston Heath is among the more popular golf courses on the fabled sand belt in Melbourne that has hosted several events, none more highly charged than Tiger Woods winning the Australian Masters in 2009. The tournament attracted some 25,000 fans each day.

Gary Player won the Australian Open there in 1970, while Karrie Webb won at Kingston Heath in the 2008 Women’s Australian Open. It most recently hosted the Australian Open last December for both men and women, a championship in which half the field played at nearby Victoria.

The PGA Tour announced the deal Tuesday morning in Australia. It is part of a commitment with Visit Victoria to bring the Presidents Cup to Melbourne in 2028 and 2040.

Royal Melbourne hosted the Presidents Cup the previous three times. It was the site of the International team’s only victory in 1998, with the Americans winning in 2011 and then in 2019 when Woods as the playing captain.

The Presidents Cup goes to Royal Montreal in 2024 and Medinah in 2026.

Reynolds among new investors backing F1’s Alpine

BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, France (AP) — After soccer, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are setting their sights on Formula One.

F1 team Alpine has secured a 200 million euro ($218 million) investment from a group of investors that includes the actors.

French automotive company Renault Group — Alpine’s parent company — said Monday that the group has acquired a 24% stake in the team. It includes Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, which is led by Reynolds.

“The transaction values Alpine Racing Ltd. around $900 million following this investment,” the team said in a statement. “It will accelerate Alpine’s growth plans and sporting ambitions in F1.”

Other investors include actor Michael B. Jordan.

Reynolds and McElhenney completed a $2.5 million takeover of Welsh soccer team Wrexham in November 2020. The club was thrust into the global spotlight because of its A-list owners and secured promotion to the fourth tier of English soccer this season.

With drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, Alpine stands fifth in the constructors’ championship. The team was fourth in the constructors’ standings last year and has been struggling in its goal to close the gap on Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes this season.

Renault said the investors have an expertise in the sports industry, having previously worked with the Dallas Cowboys, Fenway Sports Group, the NFL, French soccer club Toulouse and Wrexham.

Renault said Alpine Racing SAS, the entity manufacturing F1 engines in France, is not part of the transaction and will remain entirely owned by Renault Group.