Novak Djokovic set to drop 2,000 ranking points, will lose the No. 1 spot to Medvedev or Zverev if either wins Australian Open

Novak Djokovic is set to drop a massive 2,000 ranking points following confirmation that he will not play at the 2022 Australian Open. The World No. 1 will be deported from Australia after the Federal Court upheld Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's decision to cancel his visa on Sunday.

Djokovic took home 2,000 ranking points from his 2021 Australian Open triumph as the defending champion. Unfortunately for the Serb, he shall not defend his points this year.

The 20-time Major champion currently has 11,015 points in his kitty and is ahead of second-placed Daniil Medvedev, who has 8,935 ranking points. Alexander Zverev is placed third with 7,970 points.

A deduction of 2,000 points would see the Serb's tally drastically reduced to 9,015 points and place him within touching distance of World No. 2 Medvedev.

However, the Russian finished as runner-up in 2021, which means he is defending 1,200 ranking points this year. The only way the 2021 US Open champion can add to his tally and dethrone Djokovic is by winning the 2022 Australian Open.

Should Medvedev emerge victorious, he will move to 9,735 points, more than 700 ahead of the Serb.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev could also become World No. 1 if he wins the Australian Open. The German finished as a quarterfinalist in 2021 and is defending only 360 points.

A title win Down Under would bump Zverev's points tally to 9,610, which would be nearly 600 points more than Djokovic's collection.

That being said, it is pertinent to note that any ranking changes will only take effect from February 21 onwards as per the ATP ranking rules. The points collected from the 2021 Australian Open will only be deducted from players' tallies next month.

While the reward for winning the title is highly lucrative for both players, the task at hand has also been made easier after the nine-time champion's deportation order. Djokovic thwarted both Zverev and Medvedev en route to the title last year.

Should the Serb have unfavorable results on clay, where he claimed 2,000 points last year after winning Roland Garros, he could see himself ranked No. 3 at Wimbledon.

Alexander Zverev gains the most from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the 2022 Australian Open

Alexander Zverev has been handed a tricky draw at this year's Australian Open. The Olympic champion could potentially face Lloyd Harris in the third round before possibly locking horns with Denis Shapovalov in the fourth round.

Zverev could also face either Rafael Nadal, Aslan Karatsev or Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals. If victorious, the World No. 3 would have likely faced Novak Djokovic in the semifinals before potentially crossing swords with Daniil Medvedev in the finals.

As such, beating Nadal, Djokovic, and Medvedev back-to-back might have been too tall an order for the German, who owns an abysmal record against top 10 players at Slams.

However, with the Serb's exit from the event, Zverev has been handed a respite should he manage to reach the semifinals. Nothing changes for Daniil Medvedev, though, who is in the other half of the draw and would not have faced the defending champion before the summit clash.

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Also Check Out: List of Australian Open Winners