LONDON: The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal dropped 2000 ATP points for the last year’s French Open title on Monday, leaving the top 100 for the first time in over two decades in the recently revealed ATP rankings.
“Several other ATP Tour stars have also climbed following the second major of the season,” ATP.com said in a statement.
Nadal occupied the worst ranking position since March 2003. Nadal has not played since the 2023 Australian Open, Spanish veteran who has won the French Open fourteen times missed this year’s tournament owing to an injury.
Novak Djokovic has returned to the No. 1 position in the ATP Rankings after claiming the French Open title. He defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets to win his record 23rd Grand Slam title on Sunday, according to ATPTour.com.
He surpassed Carlos Alcaraz, who was holding the No.1 position until the French Open. The 36-year-old beat Alcaraz in the semifinals at French Open.
Alcaraz who was holding the top position now holds the second while Russian Daniil Medvedev is at the number three spot. Casper Ruud who was the finalist in the recently concluded French Open holds the fourth position. Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved up to fifth position.
Apart from him, Russian tennis player Karen Khachanov has returned to the top 10 position in the rankings.
Last year, Alexander Zverev who tore three ligaments in his right ankle during his Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal now holds the 23rd position.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic continued to extend his lead in the Big Titles race as on Sunday he clinched the French Open 2023 to become the first player to capture all four major trophies (Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Australian Open) at least three times.
In the race for the Big Titles, which includes Grand Slam titles, Olympic singles gold medals, the Nitto ATP Finals, and ATP Masters 1000 competitions, Djokovic has pulled far ahead of his main competitors, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (who is now retired).
The Serbian holds the record for most major championship wins (23; solo record), ATP Finals victories (6; tied with Federer); and Masters 1000 victories (38; solo record). He currently has 67 Big Title victories against Nadal’s 59 and Federer’s 54.
The 36-year-old is also halfway to becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the Grand Slam by winning all four majors in the same season. Before losing in the US Open final in 2021, Djokovic won the first three major championships of the year.
In the French Open 2023 final at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Djokovic overcame Ruud’s strong start to secure his historic victory. The third seed won the first set after trailing 1-4 in the tie-break. He then produced some of his best hitting of the past two days in the second and third sets en route to a three-hour, 13-minute victory. (ANI)