El ATP rankings today, June 13, 2022, collects a circumstance unprecedented in nearly 20 years of professional men’s tennis. It is the first time since August 11, 2003 that none of the members of the ‘Big 3’, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovicthey are not in one of the first two places del ranking ATP. Hoy, Daniil Medvedevdespite his wavering year 2022, is number 1 in the world and Alexander Beastswhich this year has not yet achieved any title, is number 2. Djokovic it’s number 3, Nadal number 4 and Roger Federer can be found in position 68.
The structure of the rankings gives rise to this type of movement. Little bit understandable, but strictly regulatory. Basically, within the count of scoring tournaments for each player -19 events, with various variations and exceptions- each tennis player must revalidate in a season the points obtained in the previous one.
So, Novak Djokovic lost in January 2022 the 2,000 points corresponding to the Open of Australia 2021, and then went through a period of inactivity from which nothing began to emerge other than the start of a European clay court season, in which it went from less to more. Raphael Nadal started spectacularly, winning the 250 in Melbourne, the Open in Australia, Acapulco and reaching the Indian Wells final, but then had to stop until the Mutua Madrid Open. The title of Roland Garrosin reality, it has not meant a contribution of points, since it revalidated those of 2021. Rogeras is known, has not played since last Wimbledon due to his knee injury, although he is still making plans to return to the courts at 41 years of age.
These circumstances have been reflected in the ranking, of course. On June 14, 2021 Novak Djokovic was leader with 12,113 points, followed by Medvedev, with 10,143, and Nadal with 8,630. This week Medvedev is pfirst with only 7,950 points. Zverev follows with 7,050 and Djokovic, now third, adds 6,770.
August 13, 2022. First Agassi, second Federer
But the fact is the leader Medvedev-Zverev marks a circumstance that has not occurred since that August 11, 2003 in which Roger Federer agreed to second place in the ranking after Andre Agassi. It remained in one of the first two places until July 5, 2010, but by that date Nadal, who had accessed the ‘top 2’ on July 21, 2005, he had already taken over. He was in a phase in which he remained in one of the first two places until the July 9, 2012... But by then a Novak Djokovic that had reached the ‘top 2’ on February 1, 2010, was already in one of the first two places and would remain in them until June 12, 2017. From Nadal would remain on that date until March 15, 2021, who since October 15, 2018 shared the head binomial with ‘Nole’. Now, ‘Nole’, who after Wimbledon will lose another 2,000 points as this year is not scoring, has also regressed.
That October 15, 2018 was the last time we saw Federer in the ‘top 2’. His current position 68 is the lowest he occupies in the ranking since the October 18, 1999being a promising and iconoclastic tennis player, was in 67th place. However, Roger’s category no longer depends, as we well know, on his ranking.
It is not that the era of the ‘Big 3’ has ended, but it is evident that the passage of time does not forgive, and little by little go down in history.
–
