Novak Djokovic returns to world number one after defeat by Daniil Medvedev

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It doesn’t get any stranger than that.

In February, Daniil Medvedev made it to number one in the ATP ranking because Novak Djokovic in the Quarterfinals in Dubai suffered a completely surprising defeat against Jiri Vesely. About three weeks later, Medvedev also unexpectedly blundered against Gaël Monfils in the 3rd round of Indian Wells – which again resulted in a castling at the top.
The Indian Wells Masters event but both imagined it very differently – albeit for different reasons.

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The Russian wanted his status as Number one in the ATP ranking underpin with a tournament victory, the Serb hoped to the last to participate. Both went wrong.

Monfils disenchants Medvedev

Medvedev was already disenchanted by Gaël Monfils in round three. The French turned the match against the US Open Champion and surprisingly won 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 1 through.
Djokovic, who claims not to be vaccinated against the corona virus, got it no entry permit to the USA. “Since the COVID rules are constantly being adjusted, I wanted to see if anything changes,” explained the 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner, who was initially on the Indian Wells tableau but ultimately could not compete.

This will also be the case at the Masters, which will take place directly afterwards in Miami.

Medvedev’s lead over Djokovic is not enough

After all, Medvedev’s blunder flushes him back to the top, at least temporarily. The 26-year-old loses 205 ATP points due to the early exit, but the lead over Djokovic is only 150 points. The Serb, on the other hand, last competed in Indian Wells in 2019 and for this reason will not lose any points this year despite his absence.

Wilander: Medvedev deserves first place, but…

From March 21st, the Djokovic name will reappear in first place – just as it has for a total of 361 weeks since 2011. A record that the exceptional player from Belgrade will now expand in his absence.

However, how constant the veteran can remain on the throne depends on the limited tournament selection for Djokovic, who fluctuating performances by Medvedev and Alexander Zverev and the incredible run of Rafael Nadal unpredictable.

Henin: “Difficult to assess balance of power”

“At the moment it seems that there is a bit of a lack of clarity at the top for men,” said the tennis legend Justine Henin in an exclusive interview with Eurosport. “The balance of power is difficult to assess. A very exciting phase. Who can say what will happen in the next few months?”

The fact that this question cannot be answered at the moment creates a whole new tension on the ATP Tour…

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