Of course, the fall from the top of the rating will not happen immediately, but next Monday, when the points will be recalculated. As for the match against the Frenchman Monfils, Daniil’s defeat did not come as a surprise. The Russian plays brilliantly on hard, but hard in Indian Wells does not suit him – the surface here is too slow. At this tournament, Medvedev never made it past the fourth round, but now he stopped a step before this stage. Moreover, to maintain the title of the first racket of the world, Daniil had to reach at least the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic will overtake the Russian on Monday. Let only 55 points, but still. Thus, it turns out that Medvedev held on to the top for only three weeks. At a press conference after meeting with Monfils, Daniel was philosophical:
– Which is better: to spend a week in the first place or never reach it? I think it’s best to be first for at least a week. Nothing can be done: I know that I will lose the first line of the rating, and in Miami I will try to climb it again. Usually I play better there, so I’ll try to show a good result.
Daniil will have to defend 180 points in Miami – last year he played here in the quarterfinals. As for Djokovic, he had to defend only 45 points, which he earned for reaching the fourth round three years ago. But the Serb will not be able to protect them: he is not allowed into the United States due to the lack of vaccination against the coronavirus.
To return to first place in the rankings, Medvedev needs to reach the semi-finals. This will not be easy to do. The courts of Miami suit the Russian more than the courts of Indian Wells, but also not ideal. Last year’s quarter-finals – the best result for Daniil in Miami. And in order to return to the top of the rankings, you need to reach the semi-finals. Let’s see how he does it.
