Daniil Medvedev has become the world No. 1 men’s player for a second time after Novak Djokovic dropped to No. 3 in the ATP rankings.
For the first time since November 2003, none of the ‘Big Four’ – Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – occupy the first two spots.
Djokovic has lost the 2,000 points from last year’s French Open win, and now boasts a tally of 6,770 to place him behind Medvedev (7,950) and Alexander Zverev (7,075).
French Open champion Nadal is fourth, while Casper Ruud has leapfrogged Stefanos Tsitsipas into fifth.
There is also a milestone for Murray, who after reaching the Stuttgart Open final has returned to the top 50 – a No. 47 standing his highest since May 2018.
For Medvedev – who lost the Libema Open final in a shock defeat on Sunday – it is his second stint at the top, having initially occupied first for three weeks earlier this year.
The headline move, however, is Djokovic’s fall by two places, with the Serbian set to slip further down the rankings in the coming weeks.
Djokovic is not playing a warm-up tournament ahead of Wimbledon, which starts on June 27, and with ranking points stripped from that Grand Slam, he will lose another 2,000 points – garnered from his 2021 triumph at SW19 – on July 11.
As it stands, that would see Djokovic drop to eighth in the rankings, although there are still points to be won ahead of Wimbledon with Halle and Queen’s under way.
“On a personal level of course, without getting a chance to play and defend my 4,000 points from Australia and Wimbledon, I will drop them this year,” Djokovic said last month.
“On a personal, individual level I am very negatively affected by that. Collectively I am glad that players got together and showed to the Grand Slam that when there is a mistake happening we have to show there will be some consequences.
“I think it [Wimbledon’s ban] was a wrong decision. I don’t support that at all. But at these times it is a sensitive subject and whatever you decide will create a lot of conflict.”
Djokovic did however express his desire to defend his Wimbledon title, insisting he is not motivated by points or prize money.
“A Grand Slam is still a Grand Slam,” Djokovic added.
“Wimbledon, for me, was always my dream tournament when I was a child. So I don’t look at it through the lens of points or of prize money. For me, it’s something else.”
Djokovic is chasing a seventh Wimbledon crown, which would put him level with Pete Sampras and one behind Roger Federer’s all-time record.
He is deemed the heavy favourite to win, too, with Medvedev absent due to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarussian athletes.
Zverev’s participation is also in doubt after his injury at the French Open, while Nadal’s fitness will be under the spotlight as well after he required injections en route to Roland-Garros glory.
