Tennis-Change is coming to the rankings, it's inevitable, says Djokovic
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[May 11, 2021]
(Reuters) - The recent success
of younger players on the men's tour points to an "inevitable" shift
at the top of the ATP rankings, said world number one Novak Djokovic.
The last four ATP Masters 1000 events -- the most prestigious
tournaments outside the Grand Slams -- have been won by players
outside the 'Big Three' of Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, 25, won the ATP Finals and the Paris
Masters titles last year and has already displaced Spaniard Nadal
from second spot.
Hubert Hurkacz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have won the
three Masters events this year with Greek Tsitsipas the youngest of
them at 22.
Djokovic, 33, told reporters at the Rome Masters on Monday that the
results showed there was a generational shift underway.
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"There are guys like Tsitsipas, Zverev, (Matteo) Berrettini, (Andrey)
Rublev that are winning against all of us and playing a lot and
building their ranking points," he added.
"Medvedev as well, of course, and challenging for the top spots.
Dominic Thiem has been there for many years.
"It's inevitable that it's going to happen. The change on the men's
rankings, top of the rankings is coming. Whether it's going to
happen in a month or a year or whatever, I don't know."
While the 39-year-old Federer missed most of the last 14 months due
to knee problems, Djokovic passed his record for the most weeks as
world number one in March.
But the Serbian, who has won 18 Grand Slam titles, is more focused
on chasing down the 20 major wins of Federer and the 34-year-old
Nadal.
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![](../images/051121PIX/tennis%20change_small.jpg)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during
his third round match against Britain's Dan Evans REUTERS/Eric
Gaillard
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"I'm not personally paying too much attention anymore to the
rankings as much as I am to my game for the Grand Slams," he said.
"Those are the biggest focus tournaments right now at this stage of
my career."
Djokovic has made changes to his schedule to spend more time with
his family and since his Melbourne win has only played the Monte
Carlo Masters and an event at home in Belgrade.
He will wind up his preparations for the French Open, which starts
at the end of the month, with this week's Rome Masters and another
ATP event in Belgrade.
"Four tournaments before French is I think enough in terms of the
match play," he said. "So I'm building my fitness and I'm building
just my game slowly step by step in order to peak in Paris. That's
definitely where I want to play my best."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Berhampore, India; editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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