Novak Djokovic in prime position to reclaim world No 1 ranking
Novak Djokovic struggled was in tears as his reign as Wimbledon champion came to an end at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz, but he is in pole position to reclaim the world No 1 ranking in a matter of weeks.
Djokovic’s era as the king of Wimbledon’s Centre Court ended in dramatic fashion as Alcaraz beat him in a thrilling five-set final on Sunday.
The outcome of the most significant tennis match in recent years sparked suggestions that Dkokovic’s days at the top of the game are over, but that verdict may have been delivered prematurely.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion admitted he will need time to recover from his Wimbledon heartbreak, with the level of his fluctuating performance in the final suggesting he may not be at the peak of his powers at the age of 36.
Yet a ray of sunlight may soon emerge for Djokovic and he won’t have to wait long to have a chance to reclaim on of his most cherished titles.
After being denied the chance to enter North America over the last couple of years due to his stance on Covid vaccines, Djokovic is preparing to return to the continent next month.
He is set to play in the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters on the ATP Tour before playing at the US Open for the first time since he lost in the final of the tournament against Daniil Medvedev in 2021.
That will ensure Djokovic competes for 4,000 ATP points, giving him a chance to close the 880-point gap Alcaraz has opened up at the top of the rankings.
In addition, Alcaraz is defending 640 points over the next few weeks, with a large percentage of those certain to drop off his record as he will not be playing in the Stuttgart clay court event, where he reached the final last year.
Alcaraz will also be defending 2,000 ranking points from his US Open win last year, so he will not have a chance to advance his current total when the tournament gets underway in New York next month.
If Djokovic reaches the latter stages of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters 1000 events, there is a good chance that he can reclaim the No 1 position from Alcaraz ahead of the US Open.
Even if that does not happen, he would need to reach the back end of the second week of the final Grand Slam of the year to secure a return to the top of the rankings, which seems highly likely.
Djokovic could knock Alcaraz off the top spot of the ATP list even if he defends his US Open crown, but the Spaniard will have the chance add points to his total in Toronto and Cincinnati after early exits in both of those competitions last year.
Djokovic has been world No 1 for a record 389 weeks and he will be keen to take that total past 400 weeks before he hangs up his rackets.
The lack of points he is defending in the next couple of months will give Djokovic a chance to do just that and he will also be expecting to thrive on indoor courts at the back end of 2023 as he has a fine record in those conditions.
What seems certain is Alcaraz will continue to jostle with Djokovic for the top spot in the ATP list after his Wimbledon win appeared to confirm that the days of one player dominating at the top of the rankings are over.
READ MORE: Is Novak Djokovic’s era of dominance over after sensational Wimbledon defeat?
