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Novak Djokovic being guaranteed to retain the World No. 1 following the conclusion of the 2024 Australian Open has drawn cheers from some tennis fans online.
Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev all had a shot at claiming the World No. 1 ranking at the Australian Open. However, Alcaraz's defeat to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals has ensured the Serb's continued reign.
Alcaraz currently holds 9,255 points in the live rankings, holding a 600-point gap to Djokovic, who has 9,855 points. Should the Serb clinch his 11th Australian Open title, he will further extend the gap with an insurmountable 11,055 points.
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Even if the 24-time Grand Slam champion loses to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and Daniil Medvedev wins the title in Melbourne, the Serb will still maintain a 390-point lead over the Russian, who would have 9,465 points.
As such, the Serb is guaranteed to hold the top spot in the rankings until February 19, bringing his tally to 412 weeks. With his closest challengers, Medvedev and Alcaraz, defending a significant amount of points in the post-Australian Open swing, unlike him, the 36-year-old is expected to retain the World No. 1 ranking for the foreseeable future.
Tennis fans marveled at Novak Djokovic's sustained dominance at the top of the ATP rankings. One fan even pointed out that the Serb was on course to spend double the 209 weeks Rafael Nadal spent in the top spot.
"Novak will double Rafa's weeks at no.1 insane," the fan commented.
Similarly, another fan highlighted that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will soon eclipse the combined weeks spent as the World No. 1 by Roger Federer (310 weeks) and Andre Agassi (101 weeks).
"As many weeks at number 1 as Federer and Agassi combined in another 2 weeks. 409 - Novak currently. 411 - Fed and Agassi combined," the fan posted.
Meanwhile, one fan asserted that Djokovic's extraordinary feat had emphatically put an end to the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate.
"The GOAT debate is dead and buried," the fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
"It's not easy to beat Novak Djokovic in a tournament, but it's even tougher in a Grand Slam" - Carlos Alcaraz
Following his quarterfinal exit from the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz opined that although Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev possessed the ability to beat Novak Djokovic, triumphing over him at a Grand Slam event was exceptionally challenging.
"I think the players that are in the semifinals have the level to beat him. Let's see. It's not easy to beat Novak in a tournament, but I think it's even tougher in a Grand Slam," Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference.
Nevertheless, Alcaraz stated that Sinner, who has not dropped a set during his campaign, would pose a formidable threat to the Serb in his current form.
"But he has to face Jannik Sinner, that he's playing an unbelievable game. He has not dropped a set in this tournament. That means that he has the level and the capacity to beat Novak," he added.
Should Djokovic triumph over Sinner in the semifinals, he will take on the winner of the match between Zverev and Medvedev in the Australian Open final.
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