New Record
Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has once again topped the ATP rankings released on Monday, marking ten weeks as the world’s No. 1 and setting a national benchmark for longevity at the pinnacle.
Until now, only three Russians had reached the top. Yevgeny Kafelnikov led for six weeks, Marat Safin for nine, and Medvedev has now eclipsed them to hold the record. Some observers wonder if the 26-year-old from Moscow could be considered the greatest player in Russian tennis history, given this sustained success.
Since the ranking era began, only 27 players have held the top spot, and Medvedev already ranks 19th in the all-time list for weeks at No. 1. He is on track to surpass the German Boris Becker (12 weeks) and the American Andy Roddick (13 weeks) in the near future.
Yet comparing Medvedev with Kafelnikov and Safin remains nuanced. Both legends captured two singles Grand Slam titles, and Kafelnikov added four doubles majors. That doubles success, while impressive, does not directly translate to the all-time singles ranking metric being tracked today.
Kafelnikov leads in total singles titles with 26 trophies, Safin has 15, and Medvedev sits at 13 so far. In contrast, Kafelnikov never won a Masters title, Safin claimed five Masters trophies, and Medvedev has already captured four. Kafelnikov earned Olympic gold as well, while Medvedev is the second Russian man to lift the year-end WTA Tour Final, following Nikolai Davydenko, though Davydenko never finished as the world’s top player. Interestingly, Medvedev posts the best winning percentage among the trio at 70 percent, compared to Kafelnikov at 67 percent and Safin at 61 percent.
controversial season
Medvedev ascended to the top of the rankings in 2022, but the season ahead has brought uncertainties for him. The Russian has not yet secured a championship in the current year. He began the year with high hopes and came very close to a second consecutive Grand Slam title, only to fall short in the Australian Open final as Rafael Nadal rallied from two sets down to win in Melbourne.
This defeat rattled the Russian camp, with the crowd reacting strongly to the outcomes and Nadal celebrating each point won. Medvedev then faced a challenging stretch mentally, a period many players describe as a psychological trough. In that time, Novak Djokovic, who had been barred from the Australian Open due to vaccination politics, snatched the top ranking by virtue of significant points shifts as he rallied through the season. Djokovic also endured injury concerns that influenced his standing.
Furthermore, Medvedev benefited from the ATP decision that deprived Wimbledon of ranking points, a move that affected the broader landscape for players from Russia and Belarus. Djokovic nonetheless captured the Wimbledon title. Medvedev did enjoy strong runs on grass, reaching finals at Halle and s-Hertogenbosch, but could not convert in those decisive matches.
As a result, he remained nearly a thousand points ahead of Alexander Zverev of Germany, who sits second in the standings. Medvedev’s lead is not accidental so far, though the year still holds many twists and turns.
Fight at the end of the year
No Russian has finished a season as the undisputed world No. 1 in recent memory. The current leader has a real chance, but maintaining the top spot will be difficult. Zverev, who sits second in Roland Garros considerations, has suffered injuries that affect his ability to defend a substantial portion of his ranking as the season closes. Djokovic, trailing by a wide margin, may not mount a full bid to reclaim the top spot this year due to ongoing travel and health restrictions, which would keep him out of some events in Canada and the United States while still needing to defend many points from last year’sFinals.
Medvedev, on the other hand, faces a steeper challenge as he must defend a large chunk of points in the closing stretch—potentially up to 5200. That is two-thirds of his current rating and a formidable task heading into the crucial late-season events. A year ago, Medvedev confronted a similar pressure, managing to defend more than 6,000 points after Wimbledon and nearly meeting the challenge with resilience.
He often thrives when form aligns with favorable conditions on comfortable surfaces, which has helped him capture the Masters titles in Canada and at the Open and reach the finals. If that alignment returns and confidence stays high, Medvedev could sustain his lead into the year’s final weeks. Complicating the race are Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz, the fourth and fifth ranked players, who must defend around a thousand points each, while Nadal remains a persistent threat from a distance, trailing by around 2,610 points but with fewer points to defend in the near term due to past injuries.
In this dynamic, Nadal’s continued presence keeps the competition alive, but Medvedev still holds his own destiny as the season progresses.
“Looks Unreal”
In conversations with media outlets, a renowned Russian player, Andrei Chesnokov, speculated about Medvedev’s place in Russian tennis history. He noted that a previous great, Marcelo Rios, reached the top but never won a Grand Slam, asking aloud whether Medvedev could be considered the greatest given his US Open victory. Chesnokov added that it would be remarkable to remain No. 1 even for a day, let alone a term, and he cautioned that sustaining the top ranking through the year would be very challenging.
Chesnokov argued that Medvedev must defend points at the US Open, a setback that could drop the rating significantly if results do not meet expectations. He compared the situation with Safin, who briefly held the top position but saw rivals surpass him when the Masters final shifted the balance. He suggested that a handful of current legends, like Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, have carved out careers with such extraordinary peaks, making Medvedev’s current ascent a rare achievement for Russian men’s tennis. He concluded that Medvedev is among the best players in the world today, though the duration of his leadership remains uncertain.