I would have preferred Daniil Medvedev to become No. 1 by winning Australian Open, top spot currently lacks a little authority: Justine Henin

Former World No. 1 Justine Henin feels Daniil Medvedev will regret not winning the Australian Open.

The Russian was the heavy favorite to win the tournament and reached the final following wins over the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 26-year-old took on Rafael Nadal in the final and won the first two sets. However, the Spaniard bounced back to defeat the Russian in five sets and win a record 21st Grand Slam.

Despite the loss, Medvedev went on to dethrone Novak Djokovic as World No. 1 a few weeks later. Henin, on her part, feels Daniil Medvedev would have been a more worthy No. 1 had he won the Australian Open.

"Arguably, Medvedev should have won the Australian Open and that's probably something he'll regret for a long time," Henin told Eurosport. "At the beginning of the year, a lot has happened with the absence of Djokovic and the Nadal madness which has reshuffled the cards... all of this overshadows Medvedev's takeover a little bit.

"I would have preferred him to become No. 1 by winning this Australian Open, even if I am a huge fan of Rafael Nadal! Right now, it seems the top spot in the men’s game lacks a little bit of authority and it’s difficult to really judge it, so I find this period very exciting."

With the tour being played on three surfaces and clay being a big part of the season, Henin feels the 26-year-old Russian would have to deliver on surfaces other than hardcourt to hold on to the No. 1 ranking.

"Who can say what will happen in the coming months? We are in a huge uncertainty, and after everything we have been through recently, I think it could be very exciting! The future will show us what sort of No. 1 Medvedev goes on to be. Can this new status be a burden for him? Yes, but he is still prepared for it and he has shown that he can handle the pressure. But he has to become stronger on other surfaces if he wants to settle as world No. 1 for the long run," she said.

Daniil Medvedev overtook Novak Djokovic as the World No. 1

Daniil Medvedev became the new World No. 1 following Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal exit at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Russian reached the semifinals of the Mexican Open in Acapulco but was eliminated by Nadal in straight sets.

Daniil Medvedev's first tournament since reaching the top of the ATP rankings is the Indian Wells Masters, where he will be among the favorites. The 2021 US Open champion's best showing at the tournament came last year as he reached the fourth round before losing to eventual semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov.