By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday August 23, 2022
Rafael Nadal is the favorite to finish the US Open with the No.1 ranking. The Spaniard, a four-time champion who enters the event with a 35-4 record on the season and four titles, will have a significant lead over current No.1 Daniil Medvedev with last year’s US Open points drop.
Here’s how things will look prior to the Open, in terms of points:
Nadal, 5630
Zverev, 5040
Medvedev, 4885
Tsitsipas, 4800
Alcaraz, 4740
Ruud, 4550
No matter what happens to Nadal at the Open, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Alcaraz and Ruud will all need to at least reach the US Open final to have an opportunity to leave New York as World No. 1.
More on the scenarios here:
Nadal could also secure No.1 by reaching the quarterfinals if Medvedev and Tsitsipas don’t reach the final and Alcaraz and Ruud don’t win the title; Nadal could reach No.1 by reaching the semifinal if none of the four players win the title; and Nadal would remain No.1 if he loses the final against any player other than Medvedev.
Medvedev could hang on to the top spot by winning the title in New York or by losing in the final, if Nadal doesn’t reach the semis and Alcaraz, Ruud and Tsitsipas don’t reach the final.
If Nadal returns to No.1, it would mark his ninth stay atop the ATP rankings, and the first time since February 2nd, 2020 that he has held the top ranking.
Nadal, 36 (and nearly three months) can’t become the oldest No.1, but if he hangs onto the top ranking for the rest of the season he can break Novak Djokovic’s record for oldest year-end No.1.
Federer, (36 years, 10 months), is the oldest No.1 in ATP history; Djokovic is the oldest year-end No. 1 (34 years, 7 months).