Tennis news today: Novak Djokovic holds on to the World No. 1 ranking following Daniil Medvedev's loss in Miami, Rafael Nadal's gym pictures give rise to speculations of an early comeback | 1 April 2022
Daniil Medvedev missed out on reclaiming the World No. 1 after his quarter-final exit from the Miami Open. As a result, Novak Djokovic will continue his reign at the top of the rankings for a few more weeks.
Rafael Nadal, who is currently sidelined due to an injury, has already been spotted in the gym, indicating he might return to action sooner than expected.
Meanwhile, Jelena Ostapenko is the latest player to withdraw from the Charleston Open, while the field for this year's Halle Open is set.
Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka has reached her first final in more than a year at the ongoing Miami Open.
Here's a round-up of the day's biggest headlines.
Novak Djokovic continues reign atop the rankings after Daniil Medvedev's Miami Open exit
Daniil Medvedev came really close to regaining the World No. 1 ranking, but fell agonizingly short. The Russian lost 7-6(7), 6-3 to defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. Had he won the match, he would've ascended to the top spot yet again.
Medvedev's exit has ensured that Novak Djokovic will remain the top-ranked player until the conclusion of the Monte-Carlo Masters at the very least.
Rafael Nadal sparks rumors of an early comeback after being spotted in the gym
After being hampered by an injury during the Indian Wells Open, Rafael Nadal was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib. His doctors expected him to be out of action for four to six weeks.
But the Spaniard was spotted training in the gym recently, and it appears that his recovery is going rather well and ahead of the given timeline.
"Work in progress. Nether give up," wrote Guillaume Delamarre, a senior French ITF player. "Preparing to come back. For the boss and also for me."
Nadal will miss the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters and could possibly sit out the Barcelona Open as well.
Jelena Ostapenko withdraws from the Charleston Open
Former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko became the latest player to withdraw from the Charleston Open. The tournament, which is to be held from April 4-10, has seen its strong player field lose some of its star power in recent weeks.
Ostapenko is the fourth big name set to miss the tournament. Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza previously withdrew due to their respective injuries, while Elina Svitolina recently announced a break from tennis altogether.
A host of top players are set to compete at the 2022 Halle Open
This year's Halle Open is set to be rather competitive, as plenty of top stars have signed up to compete for the title. Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner, Hubert Hurkacz and Nick Kyrgios, among others, have confirmed their participation in the event.
Players confirmed for ATP500 Halle:
Alexander Zverev
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Hubert Hurkacz
Nick Kyrgios
Daniil Medvedev
Jannik Sinner
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Sebastian Korda
Karen Khachanov
It remains to be seen if Roger Federer, a 10-time champion in Halle, will be able to make a comeback in time to compete in one of his favorite tournaments.
Naomi Osaka reaches the 2022 Miami Open final
Naomi Osaka staged a comeback to get past Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the Miami Open final. This is her first final since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
The former World No. 1 will be gunning for her eighth career title and her third at the WTA 1000 level. Osaka will take on either Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula in the title clash.