After a few weeks of rest and recovery, the tennis season starts afresh, and one of the major talking points will revolve around the men’s world’s No. 1 ranking.
A three-way battle will ensue at the Australian Open, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev. Only one of them can leave Melbourne as the ATP‘s top dog.
This article will highlight the possible scenarios for all three players and who has the best chance of becoming No. 1 at the end of the tournament. Djokovic, the current leader, has a monstrous lead. However, he’s defending a lot during the Australian swing.
Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev touched the World No. 1 spot for the first time in 2022, but his reign was short-lived because it lasted for a period of 18 weeks. The Russian made waves last season to return there but eventually ran into Novak Djokovic’s brick wall.
The 27-year-old will not throw in the towel, although it has to be mentioned he is the least likely of the three players on this list to become World No. 1, given the enormous gap between him and the two men in the rankings.
The ideal scenario for Medvedev would be to win the Australian Open and hope Alcaraz and Djokovic don’t go beyond the quarterfinals in Melbourne. He’ll also hope the Serbian doesn’t rack up too many points at the United Cup.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz pushed Novak Djokovic to the wire last season. Naysayers believe his “obsession” with the World No. 1 ranking ultimately cost him. Alcaraz faltered badly in the season’s closing weeks, losing back-to-back matches in autumn and effectively ending his hopes.
On a brighter note, he’ll have another crack at the number one ranking and is better placed to become World No. 1 after the Australian Open than Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz could realistically overtake Djokovic if he reached the Australian Open final and the Serbian loses before the last eight. He’ll also hope Djokovic doesn’t take the full 500 ranking points on offer at the United Cup.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic is in the driver’s seat and controls his destiny. The 36-year-old will start the new season with 8995 points after dropping points from Adelaide and the Australian Open – two tournaments he won last year.
If he wins the United Cup, he’ll keep the number one ranking beyond the reach of Daniil Medvedev. And to be certain of retaining the top spot at the end of January, he’ll need to match Alcaraz’s result at the Australian Open.
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