Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal in battle to claim world No 1 position

Daniil Medvedev knocked Novak Djokovic off the top of the ATP rankings earlier this month, but his reign as the world No 1 may not last long.

Medvedev is playing as the world’s top player at the Indian Wells Masters event under a neutral flag this week, after Russian players were ordered to play under a neutral flag following the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine ordered by their leader Vladimir Putin.

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While Medvedev may be playing under a cloud amid the Ukraine crisis, he is also under pressure to perform in the Californian desert as he could lose the world No 1 ranking in double-quick time.

Even though Djokovic was blocked from playing at Indian Wells due to his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, the Serbian could return to the top of the rankings if Medvedev fails to reach the quarter-finals of the event.

Alternatively, Medvedev could extend his lead at the top of the world rankings if he enjoys a lengthy run at Indian Wells and he could be almost 1000 points ahead of the absent Djokovic if he wins the tournament.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev could also get into the mix to be crowned as world No 1 if he wins at Indian Wells and has a good run in the Miami Open later this month.

Then comes the wildcard in this discussion, with Rafael Nadal closing in on a return to the top of the world rankings after his remarkable start to 2022.

Nadal admitted he wasn’t sure whether he would be fit to compete at