Novak Djokovicwhose presence is expected at the ATP 500 in Dubai from February 21 to 26 on his return to competition after the fiasco he starred in Melbourne in the run-up to the Australian Open, is guaranteed to continue as number 1 in the world this Mondaybut could be evicted from that position of honor on February 28 by the Russian Daniil Medvedev.
The Serb has not played since reaching the Davis Cup semi-finals in early December, and on the ATP Tour since his year-end Masters semi-final in mid-November.
Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP
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Novak Djokovic
The Russian, a finalist at the Australian Open, plans to return at the ATP 500 in Acapulco (February 21-26).
According to the ATP, These are the requirements for Medvedev to become number 1 in the world on February 28:
* Medvedev wins title in Acapulco, regardless of Djokovic’s result in Dubai
* Medvedev reaches the final in Acapulco and Djokovic fails to win the title in Dubai
* Medvedev reaches Acapulco in semifinals and Djokovic does not reach the final in Dubai
* Medvedev reaches quarterfinals in Acapulco and Djokovic misses semifinals in Dubai
* Medvedev loses in second round in Acapulco and Djokovic fails to reach semifinals in Dubai
* Medvedev falls in the first round in Acapulco and Djokovic fails to reach the quarterfinals in Dubai
Sarah Stier / Getty Images / AFP
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Medvedev, champion the US Open 2021
In case of rising to the top, Medvedev would become the third Russian world number 1 after Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1999) and Marat Safin (2000-2001).
The last tennis player outside the Big 4 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) to have been number 1 in the ATP is the American Andy Roddick, on February 1, 2004.
AFP
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