Few classification systems exist in the world of sport as fair as the ranking ATP. The repercussions of a good or bad performance are immediate and the accounting of the results achieved in 52 weeks makes the actuality rule. It is evident that Rafael Nadal The season has started in full swing and the consequences on the world list have not been long in coming; What seemed like a pipe dream months ago is now a real option that needs to be analysed.
The Spaniard will have opportunities to be world number 1 if the injuries respect him and the results accompany him, but he will find himself with a numerous competition and of tremendous quality. Break down the points to defend in the coming weeks, until the start of Roland Garros 2022gives us all the clues we need to try to unravel the gibberish at the top of the world rankings.
All those involved still have tournament points from 2019
There will be five men who can put a stop to the pinnacle of world tennis over the next few weeks, beginning the challenge in Indian Wells and Miami, before moving on to the European tour on clay. Stefanos Tsitsipas It is the one that defends the most points from here to the Parisian Grand Slam, with a total of 4,060, in addition to being the one that is currently the furthest behind on the list. It seems complicated that the Greek can get into a battle in which the presence of four other players is guaranteed, such as Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal. It is necessary to make the nuance that Medvedev will cede the top to Djokovic again on March 14, since the 250 points achieved in Marseille last year will be deducted. From there, an exciting dance of consequences still unknown will begin.
How many points do Nadal and his competitors defend until Roland Garros 2022?
The big question that haunts the minds of all fans is what is the margin of each player to score points. Once it has been clarified that Tsitsipas is the most difficult to emulate his performances from last year, it must be clarified that the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments can be an important source of points for all those involved since none of them reaped outstanding performances in Florida Last year, the points of the Californian event in its 2021 edition will not be lost until October and others, such as Nadal or Djokovic, did not even compete in two tournaments.
Having said this, it is shocking to see how Rafa has many more options than usual to score points on clay. And it is that his results last year were not as splendid as usual, something that adds to the possibility of adding in Indian Wells and, perhaps Miami, although his presence in Florida is in the air. The one who has the least to defend is Medvedev, who could take a huge leap up the list if he confirms the improvement on clay that he hinted at last year.
Behind the Russian, Zverev also has a significant margin of points gain, especially in the first two Masters 1000 of the season, since the vast majority of points to defend are concentrated in Madrid and Paris. As for Djokovic, the uncertainty surrounding his participation in some tournaments leaves things up in the air, but it is clear that not winning at Roland Garros would take away many possibilities, knowing whether he can compete in the United States or not seems to be decisive.
Points for defending until Roland Garros 2022 from the top-5 of the ATP ranking
- Stefanos Tsitsipas: 4,060
- Novak Djokovic: 3.575
- Rafael Nadal: 2,860
- Alexander Zverev: 2.680
- Daniil Medvedev: 1,220
