Juan Martin Del Potro bounds up ATP rankings after beating Roger Federer at Indian Wells

Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro climbed two places to sixth in the ATP rankings released on Monday after he defeated Roger Federer in the Indian Wells final.

The 29-year-old handed Federer his first defeat of 2018 with a 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2) victory on Sunday, extending his own win streak to 11 matches including a title run earlier this month at Acapulco.
Federer himself reclaimed top spot just a month ago and remains marginally ahead of his eternal Spanish rival Rafael Nadal, who missed the American tournament with a leg injury.

ATP rankings at March 19 (change in ranking in brackets):

1. Roger Federer (SUI) 9660 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9370

3. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4905

4. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4600

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4505

6. Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG) 4155 (+2)

7. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3675 (-1)

8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3235 (+1)

9. David Goffin (BEL) 3190 (-2)

10. Lucas Pouille (FRA) 2420 (+2)

11. Jack Sock (USA) 2335 (-1)

12. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 2300 (+1)

13. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 2275 (+2)

14. Sam Querrey (USA) 2265 (+7)

15. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2255 (+1)

16. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2220 (+1)

17. John Isner (USA) 2170 (+1)

18. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2155 (+1)

19. Pablo Carreno (ESP) 2045 (-5)

20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1945

Earlier, an emotional Juan Martin del Potro could barely believe he had finally won a Masters 1000 series title at the 51st attempt at Indian Wells on Sunday but is determined to keep the trophies coming in his late career renaissance.

The tall Argentine with a rocket of a forehand has endured years of injury-induced heartbreak but on Sunday was back at the very top of the game, beating no less than Roger Federer in an enthralling Indian Wells final.

"It's so big," Del Potro said. "I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis.

"I'm number six in the world, I think? Which is so good to me. And I'm excited to keep working ... I just want to keep winning titles like this if I can."

Del Potro was tipped as a future world number one in 2009 after the then 20-year-old reached the French Open semi-finals, the Australian Open quarter-finals before capturing his maiden grand slam at Flushing Meadows.

He failed to break the dominance of Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the years following, though, and a string of career-threatening wrist injuries hampered his game and almost forced him to give up on tennis.

"I was close to quitting tennis because I had three surgeries on my wrist and I couldn't fix the problem," the 29-year-old recalled earlier this week at the BNP Paribas Open.

"I got depressed at home for a long while, and I wasn't happy doing the effort to recover my wrist. That's what I was thinking about, quitting tennis.

"But thank God I'm here and healthy, and I'm playing tennis again. I'm doing this because I love it."

The Argentine has regained form over the last two seasons but although he entered Sunday's final on a 10-match winning streak, he was still inevitably playing underdog to Swiss world number one Federer.