Novak Djokovic, during the match that cost him the number 1 in the world. /
The Serbian succumbs in the quarterfinals against the Czech Jiri Vesely 6-4 and 7-6, which consumes the relief at the head of world tennis after 86 weeks of uninterrupted hegemony of the Balkan
A Russian at the top of world tennis. Hours after Vladimir Putin unleashed the invasion of Ukraine and plunged Europe into its worst security crisis since World War II, Novak Djokovic handed over the number 1 ranking to Daniil Medvedev. The Serbian succumbed to the Czech Jiri Vesely 6-4 and 7-6 (7/4) in the quarterfinals of the Dubai tournament and will leave next Monday the place of honor that he held uninterruptedly for the last 86 weeks.
Medvedev, recent runner-up at the Australian Open and Djokovic’s executioner in the last edition of the United States Open, will thus break into a peak that since 2004 had only seen four athletes parade: Djokovic (361 weeks as number 1 throughout throughout his career), Roger Federer (310), Rafa Nadal (209) and Andy Murray (41). The American Andy Roddick, in February 2004, was the last player outside the so-called ‘Big Four’ who held the condition of number 1 in world tennis.
Djokovic needed to achieve a better result in Dubai than Medvedev did in the Acapulco tournament to retain his privileged position. With this objective, he returned to the slopes five weeks after being deported from Australia due to his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus and consequently not being able to participate in the Open of the oceanic country, of which Nadal would end up being proclaimed champion after an epic final. in which the Spaniard secured his twenty-first Grand Slam title beating Medvedev in five sets: 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4 and 7-5.
Djokovic, who had not competed since December of last year, when Serbia was defeated by Croatia in the semifinals of the Davis Cup, made his debut in Dubai with a solid victory against Italian Lorenzo Musetti (58 in the world) 6-3 and 6-3 , later beating Russian Karen Khachanov (26th) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2). But Vesely, number 123 in the ranking and executioner the previous day of the Spanish Roberto Bautista, gave the bell this Thursday and consummated the relief at the head of world tennis.
Third Russian at the top
Medvedev, who beat Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Acapulco tournament and beat Spanish Pablo Andújar 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16, will face Japanese Yoshihito in the quarterfinals Nishioka, number 103 in the ranking, but has already secured a space that until then had only been occupied by two Russians: Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. In the worst case, Medvedev will leave Acapulco with 8,525 points, while Djokovic will appear next Monday as world number 2 with 8,465 points.
Winner of the United States Open in 2021, Medveded, 26, also highlights the Masters 1,000 in Cincinatti (2019), Shanghai (2019), Paris (2020) and Canada (2021), as well as the ATP Finals of 2020.
As a curious fact, it should be noted that Medvedev will be the highest number 1 in history. With his height of 1.98, the pupil of Gilles Cervara is five centimeters taller than Safin, who until now was the tallest tennis player who had managed to rise to the top of the ladder.
