Novak Djokovic to be replaced at No 1 by Daniil Medvedev after Dubai loss

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Novak Djokovic will fall from No. 1 in the ATP rankings and be replaced by Daniil Medvedev after losing 6-4, 7-6 (4) to Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships on Thursday.

Djokovic’s latest stay atop the rankings began on Feb. 3, 2020, and his total of 361 weeks there are the most for any man since the tour’s computerized rankings began in 1973.

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On Monday, Medvedev will move up from No. 2 for the first time and become the 27th man to reach No. 1. He won the U.S. Open last September and was the Australian Open runner-up each of the past two years.

Medvedev is the first man other than Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray to be No. 1 since Feb. 1, 2004.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely during a match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.  (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

"It's great for tennis, I think, to have somebody new at world No. 1 again," Vesely said in his on-court interview. "Tennis needs, of course, new No. 1s. A new generation is coming up. I think it's just great."

It was the 34-year-old Djokovic's first tournament since being deported from Australia last month for not being vaccinated against the coronavirus, preventing him from being able to defend his Australian Open title.

Medvedev is currently playing at the Mexican Open, winning in the second round on Wednesday.

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After beating Pablo Andujar, Medvedev said of getting to No. 1: "If I do it it’s going to mean a lot."

Vesely, who is ranked No. 123,