Rafael Nadal to exit top 3 of the ATP rankings for first time since 2017, Stefanos Tsitsipas set to become new World No. 3

20-time Major winner Rafael Nadal had a disappointing start to his North American hardcourt season, losing to South Africa's Lloyd Harris in the third round of the 2021 Citi Open. By virtue of the loss, Nadal will drop out of the top three of the ATP rankings for the first time since 2017 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Nadal, who currently possesses 8,270 ranking points, collected 45 points in Washington. But on Monday, the points he obtained by winning the Toronto Masters in 2019 will be dropped from his tally (500 as per the weighted COVID-19 ranking system), bringing him down to 7,815 points.

This means the Spaniard will relinquish the World No. 3 spot to Stefanos Tsitsipas, who currently stands at 8,115 points.

Rafael Nadal's early exit from Washington doesn't bode well for his chances at the US Open, where he is a four-time champion. The Spaniard is currently battling a foot problem and is in a race against time to find his best form before the final Grand Slam of the year.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will become only the 13th active player to reach top 3 when he overtakes Rafael Nadal

Stefanos Tsitsipas has been rewarded for a consistent season in which he has made it to the business end of most tournaments. The Greek reached his maiden Major final at Roland Garros, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. He also won the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career at Monte Carlo, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Overall, Tsitsipas has accumulated a 42-12 win-loss record in 2021 so far, winning two titles. Although the Greek suffered early losses at Wimbledon and the Olympics, he can take pride in the fact that he will achieve a new career milestone when the rankings roll out next week.

Tsitsipas will become only the 13th active player to reach the top 3 of the ATP rankings, joining an elite list that consists of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.

The Greek, however, will have very little time to revel in his breakthrough, with the American hardcourt season in full swing. Tsitsipas is scheduled to take part in Toronto and Cincinnati before continuing his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.