By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday February 19, 2022
This week in Acapulco, Daniil Medvedev will bid to become the 27th player to hold the ATP’s No.1 ranking. The Russian is the top seed in a loaded draw at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, while Novak Djokovic will return to the court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he is a five-time champion.
Medvedev opens with a first-round match with Benoit Paire, and is in the same half of the draw as No.4 seeded Rafael Nadal and No.5-seeded Matteo Berrettini. The Russian would face seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz if the seeds hold.
Djokovic, meanwhile, face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in round one. His draw is tricky as well. The World No.1 could face Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur in the second round and would face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold.
Djokovic could face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals. The second seed in Dubai is Andrey Rublev.
See both the Dubai and Acapulco draws below:
Djokovic will enter his record 361st week atop the ATP rankings on Monday. His ranking points have dipped this year due to the fact that he has not played. His decision to take a stand and not get vaccinated could limit his ability to play during the spring.
Medvedev can claim the ATP’s No.1 ranking for the first time if…
• he wins the Acapulco title regardless of what Djokovic does in Dubai;
• he reaches the Acapulco final and Djokovic does not win the Dubai title;
• he reaches the Acapulco semi-finals and Djokovic does not reach the Dubai final;
• he reaches the Acapulco quarter-finals and Djokovic does not reach the Dubai semi-finals;
• he reaches the second round in Acapulco and Djokovic does not reach the Dubai semi-finals;
• he loses in the first round in Acapulco and Djokovic does not reach the Dubai quarter-finals.