Novak Djokovic completes a whopping 7 years as World No. 1
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic began his 364th week at the top of the ranking charts on Monday, amounting to a whopping total of seven years as World No. 1.
The Serb recently returned to the top spot after Daniil Medvedev failed to make the semifinals of the Miami Open. The Russian is currently only 10 points behind Djokovic, but won't be able to topple the Serb any time soon as he has been sidelined by hernia surgery.
Novak Djokovic rose to No. 1 for the first time in July 2011 after winning his first Wimbledon title. Since then, the Serb has been in the top spot for 364 out of 540 weeks or 67.4% of the time. This number will increase in the coming weeks, given Medvedev will not be able to earn any points.
While there are doubts regarding Djokovic's participation in a few tournaments later this year due to his vaccine status, the next few months should be smooth sailing for the Serb.
Most of the upcoming clay events do not require players to be vaccinated. Djokovic will lead the field at the Monte-Carlo Masters from 10 April. Rafael Nadal, Matteo Berrettini, and Daniil Medvedev will be missing, significantly clearing the path for the Serb.
Djokovic will also compete at the Serbia Open following his stint on the French Riviera. He finished as a semifinalist at his home event last year and will be looking to go a couple of steps further this time around.
Novak Djokovic is mathematically guaranteed to remain World No. 1 in April
Points to defend during clay court season (Monte Carlo through Roland Garros)
Medvedev 790
Djokovic 3530
Zverev 2160
Nadal 2860
Tsitsipas 3355 https://t.co/v45eXk9UqI
Novak Djokovic lost in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2021, meaning he will defend only 90 points at the event this month. The Serb is also defending 90 points at the Serbia Open, courtesy of his semi-final run last year.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev will not feature for at least a month after his surgery. He stands to lose 180 points from the Monte-Carlo Masters and a further 150 points from the Barcelona Open.
As such, even if the Serb fails to win a match in April, he will remain World No. 1.