Daniil Medvedev officially overtook Novak Djokovic for the No. 1 spot in the ATP world rankings Monday.
The 26-year-old Medvedev (8,615 points) is the third Russian man to earn the distinction. At 6-foot-6, he is also the tallest player to reach the top spot.
“Of course I am happy to reach No. 1. It was my goal since I was young and especially my goal in the latest times,” Medvedev said. “I got a lot of messages from many people and from other tennis players and I just want to thank everybody for the big support.”
Djokovic dropped to No. 2 (8,465 points) after a record 361 total weeks at No. 1. The Serbian star has slipped after missing the Australian Open due to his vaccination status and then losing in the quarterfinals last week in Dubai.
Medvedev is the first player outside of the “Big Four” of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray to reach No. 1 since Andy Roddick in February 2004.
Germany’s Alex Zverev held steady at No. 3, with Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas rounding out the top five.
–Field Level Media
