Nobody like Novak Djokovic. The Serbian begins his 374th week as ATP number 1. The tenth title at the Australian Open, his twenty-second Grand Slam, allowed him not only to equal the majors of Rafa Nadal, the most successful in the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar.
He also becomes the first since the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 1973 to jump directly from fifth to first in the rankings. The Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas gains one position, rising to number 3. The Greek has 875 points to make up on Djokovic and the possibility of trying to reach the top again in the coming months. In fact, in February he will lose 480 points (final in Rotterdam and semifinal in Acapulco), but in March between Indian Wells and Miami he will only see 135 out.
Two good placements in the Masters 1000 in the USA, where Djokovic will not be present, unless waived by the US government, could change his prospects. Despite the defeat against the South African Lloyd Harris at the Australian Open, Lorenzo Musetti gains a position in the standings and improves his best ranking. He is in fact number 18, behind Sinner 17/o, equaling the best ranking of Omar Camporese and the current ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi. Since the ATP ranking has existed, only seven Italians have reached a better ranking: Adriano Panatta (n.4), Matteo Berrettini (6), Corrado Barazzutti (7), Fabio Fognini, Jannik Sinner (9), Paolo Bertolucci (12) and Marco Cecchinato (16).
This week Italy features six players in the Top 100 and seventeen in the top 200 in the world. Francesco Passaro (111, +9) also improves the best ranking after the quarterfinals at the Challenger of Tenerife, Matteo Arnaldi (130, +4) and Mattia Bellucci (407, +10) who qualified for the main draw of the Australian Open and thus entered the Top 150 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.
(Unioneonline/lopi)