Daniil Medvedev closes in on World No. 1 ranking as Novak Djokovic remains on top despite not playing at Australian Open 2022

Prior to the start of the 2022 Australian Open, there was a lot on the line for a few players, namely Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.

For Djokovic and Nadal, it was a race to create history by becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles. Medvedev and Zverev had a shot at dethroning the Serb from the top spot in the rankings if they won the Melbourne Major. However, the World No. 1 was unable to compete at the tournament as he became embroiled in a lengthy visa controversy that ended in his eventual deportation from Australia.

Ultimately, the Spaniard went on to win the title and take the lead in the Grand Slam race. Zverev and Medvedev lost in the fourth round and final respectively, allowing the Serb to retain his hold at the top of the rankings.

But the Russian could become the new World No. 1 in the next few weeks. Djokovic currently has 11,015 points compared to Medvedev's 10,125.

Since the 2021 Australian Open concluded in mid-February, Djokovic won't drop 2,000 points for another couple of weeks. Therefore, despite losing the 2022 Australian Open final to Nadal, Medvedev is in a good position to ascend to the top of the rankings.

The World No. 2 is scheduled to compete at the Rotterdam Open from February 7-13 and at the Acapulco Open from February 21-26. Victory in Rotterdam will give him enough points to be the new top-ranked player. However, this is contingent upon the Serb not participating in any tournament for the next two weeks.

The World No. 1 will not be defending too many points after February and can gain more points in March during the North American hardcourt swing.

Novak Djokovic to make his 2022 season debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships

The Serb with his 2021 Australian Open trophy

Novak Djokovic is slated to make his return to the tour at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships, which will be held from February 21-26. The World No. 1 hasn't competed since the Davis Cup Finals concluded in early December.

The Serb is a five-time champion at the tournament and will be eager to start his season on a good note after all the drama in Australia. He'll be joined by three more top-10 players in Dubai, namely Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner, making it a rather competitive field.

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