Can Novak Djokovic become World No 1 again

ATP Tour

James Richardson
October 4, 2022

Novak Djokovic might never return to the top of the ATP Rankings even if he plays for another four years, according to former pro Mischa Zverev.

The brother of German star Alexander Zverev believes that Djokovic will suffer because of issues re-entering Australia.

Djokovic remains the dominant force at Wimbledon, but Zverev fears that a repeat of the 2022 ban on Russian players and subsequent stripping of ranking points from the tournament could block a charge up the rankings.

Mischa Zverev believes that Djokovic returning to the top will depend on him being able to enter Australia.

“The way Novak looks, he can play another three or four years,” Zverev told Eurosport on an Instagram live.

“Age is only a number if you do everything right on and off the court like
Novak.

“But I don’t know if he will be world No. 1 again. The big issue will be: Will he play the Australian Open?

“If it goes badly and later in the year there are no ranking points at Wimbledon again, he would potentially be 4000 points short.”

However, Djokovic has cut a highly motivated figure since returning to the tour and despite suffering from a stop-start season has been able to find his level very quickly, time and again.

“My approach is to win tournaments wherever I am and I’m glad that I have a team of people around me that makes sure that I am in the best shape in order to be a contender to win titles,” Djokovic said after the win in Tel Aviv.

“That’s why I came to Israel, to try to win the title. First time playing here [since a] Davis Cup tie more than 15 years ago, so it was a really amazing experience.

“I played some very good tennis, I think. I [didn’t] drop a set the entire week. I hadn’t played a tournament in three months, so it was really extra motivation for me to really do well, particularly because people have been so friendly and so supportive of me throughout the week.

“I’m taking some great confidence into next week as well. Just everything really that we experienced this week was positive.

“The way people treated us when we landed in Israel all the way to the last moments now of our stay here has been truly wonderful and I am very grateful because it was more than a tournament for me.

“It was great connections that we established with people, all of us in the team, that we will cherish and will give us positive emotions for what’s coming up.”

Novak Djokovic