New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Novak Djokovic has returned to the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings following Carlos Alcaraz's semifinal defeat at the Miami Open.

The Serbian great, who recently surpassed Stefanie Graf's mark of 377 weeks as World No.1, begins his 381st week atop and is scheduled to return to the ATP Tour at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which begins on April 9.

But there could be a twist in the battle for No. 1 over the clay season and beyond as Djokovic's lead over Alcaraz is slender -- just 380 points.

However, Alcaraz is set to return to Monte Carlo, where he could have the chance to reclaim the No. 1 spot once again.

The Spaniard dethroned Djokovic less than two weeks ago when he defeated Daniil Medvedev to capture his third ATP Masters 1000 title at the Indian Wells Masters.

The 19-year-old became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history when he won the 2022 US Open. He stayed atop for the rest of the year, despite missing the ATP Finals due to injury, but then slipped to World No. 2 after Djokovic won the Australian Open.

Alcaraz has spent a total of 21 weeks as World No. 1 during his young career, putting him 16th on the list for most weeks at the top spot among the 28 players to reach No. 1.

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