Novak Djokovic returned to the top of the international list on Monday, starting his 362nd week as a top-ranked man in tennis. Serb's return to number 1 was made possible by Daniil Medvedev's early exit from the recently concluded BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells where Medvedev was eliminated in the third round by French veteran Gael Monfils.
Medvedev, who won the US Open in September and reached the Australian Open in January, needed to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals to extend his three-week tenure as World No.
DJOKOVIC, 8465
MEDVEDEV, 8410
DJOKOVIC WILL MISS MIAMI
Djokovic was unable to enter the United States due to entry requirements, which required players to be vaccinated. As a result, he will also miss the Miami Masters, starting this week.
The Serbian boxer, who was sacked from Melbourne on vaccination, has played only one tournament in 2022, losing to Jiri Vesely in the quarter-finals at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships in February.
Next, he is scheduled to play at the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 10, with current rules allowing unarmed players to enter the principal. He is also expected to play for Roland-Garros and Wimbledon under current rules.
Djokovic is 55 points ahead of Medvedev in the latest rankings. Medvedev will have a chance to return to the top if he reaches the semi-finals in Miami. The 25-year-old, who plays under a neutral flag, has said goodbye in the first round of the 96-man selection process and will meet former Andy Murray or Federico Delbonis in the second round.
• Djokovic points score next week: 8420 (-65)
• Medvedev's final score for next week: between 8240 and 9230
Medvedev is expected to face Cristian Garin's 27th seed in the third round, and Roberto Bautista Agut 15th seed or Nikoloz Basilashvili 18th seed in the 16th round.
