Rafael Nadal ‘s victory at the Australian Open opens a new scenario for 2022 in which the fight for number one in the ATP is presumed to be fast-paced and more open than ever. The Balearic tennis player gets into the fight after a start to the season in which he has added a double in his Australian mini tour and where he will go further to try to snatch the current world tennis title from Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev , after having become the historical reference.
As of this Monday, the ATP ranking remains with Novak Djokovic as the leader with 11,015 points, ahead of Daniil Medvedev , who awaits his turn with 10,125. In third position and closing the provisional podium is Alexander Zverev , one of the disappointments of the Australian Open, with 7,780 points, while the semifinalist in Melbourne, Stefanos Tsitsipas , 7,170.
Already in fifth position is Nadal , who adds the 2,000 champion points in Australia and comes out ahead as only 360 are subtracted as a quarterfinalist in 2021. Rafa, who had surpassed Rublev after winning the Summer Set 250 in Melbourne, does not raise his position but he does stand out as a player to be taken into account in this 2022 that has started in an unbeatable way and, of course, leading the Race after winning the Australian Open.
In principle, Rafa would rest for the next few weeks before competing in a tournament that is a classic for him, the ATP 500 in Acapulco , where he will meet some of the best tennis players on the planet but could continue to score points in the Race. Then will come the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami, which may mean the jump to the Top 3 of a tennis player called to get fully into the battle for number one that Djokovic and Medvedev are currently fighting, with the Serbian in full incognito for his non-vaccination.
The clay tour, where Nadal made the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and Madrid in 2021 and won the titles in Barcelona -ATP 500- and Rome -Masters 1000-, in addition to the Roland Garros semifinals, will be the definitive turning point to consider if Rafael , who has finished up to five seasons as number one, can confirm the reconquest in the second half of the year in which he will only add points due to the injury that separated him from the tracks last season.
Djokovic will hand over the baton to Medvedev
The number one will still be owned by Novak Djokovic for a few weeks, but the restructuring of the ATP will mean that from February 21 it will be Daniil Medvedev , honorable finalist of the Australian Open, who will take over and become a new inhabitant of the top world. The Russian takes advantage of the non-participation of the 2021 champion in Melbourne Park and will move up a position once the points are deducted once a year has passed since the final of last edition at the Rod Laver Arena , which Nole and Daniil starred with victory , clearly, the first.
