Daniil Medvedev will be anointed as the men’s world No 1 on Monday, the first from outside the big four of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray in almost two decades, after Djokovic suffered a shock defeat in Dubai.
The Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely, the world No 123, assumed the unlikely role of kingmaker, ending Djokovic’s latest run at the top of the rankings at 86 weeks with a swashbuckling 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) quarter-final victory. The result leaves the path clear for Medvedev, the US Open champion, to follow in the footsteps of Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin as the third Russian man to hold the No 1 ranking.
“Unfortunately, [it] wasn’t my day,” said Djokovic, who suffered the first of three breaks as early as the first game. “I congratulate Jiri. He played better. He just went for his shots. His serve was big. His whole game was big. When he needed to come up with the good shots, he did, putting a lot of pressure on my service games.”
The defeat leaves the Serb, who has held the No 1 position for a record 361 weeks in all, facing the prospect of a protracted period in limbo. Current US entry requirements mean that Djokovic, the only player in the top 100 who remains unvaccinated against Covid, will be unable to compete at next month’s “sunshine double” of Indian Wells and Miami. Similar restrictions may also prevent him from defending his French Open title. As Djokovic conceded – and Vesely demonstrated – lack of regular competitive play will make it difficult to maintain his customary level.
“I mean, it is [a concern],” said Djokovic. “The more matches I play, the more comfortable I get on the court. I need the match play. I didn’t have many matches at all last few months. Let’s see. I’ll have to follow the situation, see how it goes. Wherever I get an opportunity to play, I will.”
Vesely, who also got the better of Djokovic in Monte Carlo six years ago, joins Safin and Nick Kyrgios as one of only three players to have beaten Djokovic more than once while remaining undefeated. The Czech put the outcome in context afterwards when he signed a TV camera “Ukraine”, yet in tennis terms the result marks a significant moment. The last player to hold the top ranking other than Djokovic, Nadal, Federer or Murray was Andy Roddick in February 2004.
“It is great for tennis to have someone new at world No 1,” said Vesely of Medvedev’s impending ascent to the throne. “Novak is such a champion, he has been No. 1 for 361 weeks, but tennis needs new world No 1s and there is a new generation coming up. I think it is great.”