Djokovic will give up number one to Medvedev after his unexpected defeat in Dubai

The Serbian falls (6-4 and 7-6 (4) in the quarterfinals against the Czech Jiri Vesely, current 123 in the world.

After breaking the record at the top of world tennis, with a total of 361 weeks, Novak Djokovic give up number one on Monday to the Russian Daniil Medvedev after his unexpected defeat against the Czech Jiri Vesely6-4 and 7-6(4), in the quarterfinals of the Dubai tournament.

The Balkan, who played his first tournament of the season in Dubai, needed to get a better result than Medvedev in Acapulco. Djokovic fell to the Czech in the quarterfinals, a stage the Russian has already reached in Mexico, where he still remains aspiring.

Medvedev will become the third Russian after Yevyeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safe to be number one in the world. Djokovic remained at the top of the ranking for 361 weeks.

Novak Djokovic ran into a rising player who will be back in the top 100 on tour next week. The Czech, without illustrious successes in his career, tuted the Balcnico from the beginning and always maintained a high level of play that lasted until the last point.

Vesely’s second victory

Vesely, who already showed signs of his form in Wednesday’s clash against the Spanish Robert Baptist, started the match with a break in the Serb’s serve. A statement of intent. It was not a mirage. Although Djokovic reacted and was equal to two games, the 28-year-old tennis player and now installed in 123rd place in the ranking broke again in the seventh to stand at 4-3 and serve. He took advantage of it and closed the set. The Belgrade player lost a set for the first time this year.

The second kept his balance. Djokovic could not open a gap in the sleeve and it was the Czech, again, who made the break, also in the seventh. With 5-4 served to win the match. But the Belgrade player reacted, broke Vesely’s serve and the set ended in a tie break anyway. The pulse of the Czech who prevailed in the tiebreaker to close a memorable victory and make Djokovic lose world number one for the first time since January 2020.

The tennis player from the Czech Republic, who only has two titles in his history, in Pune 2020 and in Auckland 2015, beat Djokovic again, whom he had already beaten in Monte Carlo, on clay, in 2016.