Daniil Medvedev Passes Novak Djokovic as Men's World No. 1 Ahead of Wimbledon 2022

Daniil Medvedev is the new No. 1 in men's singles tennis, passing Novak Djokovic ahead of Wimbledon.

It's the second time Medvedev has moved into the top spot in 2022, although the Russian won't get a chance to take advantage at the upcoming major. Wimbledon begins later this month, but the All England Lawn Tennis Club banned all Russian and Belarusian players from the event after the invasion of Ukraine.

Alexander Zverev moves to No. 2 after reaching the semifinals at the French Open, while Djokovic fell to No. 3. It's the lowest Djokovic has been ranked since October 2018.

Djokovic was dominant in 2021, winning five tournaments and nearly capturing the Grand Slam. He earned titles at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon before losing in the final of the U.S. Open to Medvedev.

The 35-year-old has not been able to recreate this success in 2022 and has dropped a significant number of points in the rankings.

Djokovic was unable to compete at the Australian Open because of his vaccination status, and his only title came at the Rome Masters. He suffered a quarterfinal loss in the French Open to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.

Nadal remains No. 4, although he has only competed in 10 tournaments over the past year that count toward the rankings.

Medvedev and Zverev have been more active, each with at least 20 events to help them gain points.

Zverev won six titles in 2021 and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros, his third semifinal appearance in his last five Grand Slams. Medvedev only reached the round of 16 in Paris, although a win at the U.S. Open and a finals appearance at the Australian Open go a long way toward grabbing the top spot.

Casper Ruud is a career-high No. 5 in the rankings after reaching the French Open final.