The changing of the guard has already become a reality. Although not definitive, the historical implications of the rise of Daniil Medvedev al number 1 of the ATP ranking they are tremendous. The Russian is part of a very small elite group that amounts to 27 tennis players; those are the men who tasted the honeys of being known to be the best in the world for at least a week. At 26 years old, Daniil has done more than enough to achieve this feat, establishing himself as the firm candidate to dominate world tennis once the Big 3 is extinct.
6,602 days have passed since there was a number 1 that was not from the Big 3 or Murray
He had been in tennis for a long time in the inexorable search for the player who would break a historic streak that had lasted since February 1, 2004. That day was the last in which a player whose last name was not Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray occupied this position of privilege. It was Andy Rodddick who did it, before an era that was difficult to repeat began in which a privileged few have ruled with an iron fist. The Serbian had been at the top for 79 consecutive weeks, but mathematics is not deceiving and it has been inevitable that Medvedev complete a memorable sorpasso and that he has a lot to analyze.
Medvedev is the third Russian player to reach number 1, after Safin and Kafelnikov
And it is that the Russian reaches this consideration with endorsements as notable as 13 ATP titles, including 4 Masters 1000, some Nitto ATP Finals and, of course, a Grand Slam. It seemed clear that the first to break that glass ceiling in the most important events in the world would collect more prizes and this has been confirmed in the case of Medvedev, whose title at the US Open 2021 is a fundamental part of this rise.
Djokovic stays with 361 weeks at the top of the list, which is equivalent to 7 years
Nor can his title be ignored at the Masters 1000 Canada 2021, as well as the recent final at the Australian Open 2022. There are many who consider it strange, and even dare to criticize, that a player with ample room for improvement on clay and grass has been able to dominate the classification, but this only serves to highlight the enormous merit of Daniil and his power on hard courts. Already last year he made an improvement on clay, reaching the quarter-finals at Roland Garros 2021 and earning some more valuable points for his run to the top. but above all, confidence and feelings of being able to continue improving on the albero. In addition, on grass he won the title in Mallorca and, for sure, he will work hard to explore his limits at Wimbledon, where he finished in the round of 16 last year.
How long can Daniil Medvedev stay at number 1 in the ATP ranking?
If we take into account the remarkable experience that the Russian has already amassed in recent years, competing for big goals, as well as the fact that Djokovic and Nadal do not have returning to number 1 among their priorities, it is clear that they can start a dynasty no expiration date close. And it is that Daniil defends few points on the clay and grass tours, while he did not produce great results last year in Indian Wells and Miami, so it seems difficult for someone to unseat him from there before the US Open 2022.
Medvedev defends 2,030 points to the best New Yorker, while Djokovic has the titanic task ahead of defending a whopping 5,020 points, which seems almost utopian that he can fight for all of them due to the vaccination issue. In addition, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, the main candidates to fight for that place, seem to be far from the Russian in terms of consistency and regularity.
Definitely, Daniil Medvedev he is a deserved number 1 in the world, who has been able to progress over time and not get impatient with the fact of having a slow progression to the top. Something changed in that magical summer of 2019 in which he presented himself to the general public with several spectacular consecutive tournaments and was stopped by Nadal in that legendary final. After reaching the elite, he has been able to perpetuate himself in it and show an unprecedented ambition and capacity for improvement. The sky is the limit for him.
