By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, July 11, 2022
Winning Wimbledon has been a momentous occasion for Novak Djokovic, but it did nothing for the Serb’s ranking.
The 21-time major champion drops to No.7 in the mixed-up, muddled-up ATP rankings this week, due to the fact that his 2,000 ranking points from winning the Wimbledon title in 2021 have dropped off.
This year’s ranking points, thanks to the ATP’s controversial decision to not allow ranking points at Wimbledon this year, do not exist. They vanish like vapor into a void, and that means that Djokovic drops down to No.7 in the ATP’s rankings, his lowest ranking since August of 2018.
Daniil Medvedev, banned from Wimbledon due to the All England Club’s decision to prohibit Russian and Belarusian players from competing this year at the Championships, remains at No.1, nearly 1,000 points ahead of World No.2 Alexander Zverev.
Coming in at No.3 is Rafael Nadal.
So the two players that have dominated the Grand Slams in 2022 – Nadal and Djokovic – are ranked No.3 and No.7 respectively.
Djokovic - I won’t go chasing points
Djokovic isn’t all that worried about these new developments. He has held the No.1 ranking for a record 373 weeks after all, but it should be noted that he was only four weeks shy of passing Steffi Graf for the record for most weeks at No.1 for any player – male or female.
Djokovic says he doesn’t plan to go chasing points any more, and those days may be over for the Serbian legend. And he added that he is not worried about making the World Tour Finals, either, as his Wimbledon title should have taken care of that.
“To be honest, I doubt that I'll go and chase points,” he said. “As I understand from my agent today, winning Grand Slam would qualify you for World Tour Finals unless you're out of top 20, which I don't know. With accumulated points so far, I guess I'll make top 20. I guess I have a good chance to be already in the Finals. I will not burden myself to really have to go and play tournaments and get points.”
The Serb isn’t sure where he’ll play next, especially because he is currently not allowed to enter the United States due to his vaccination status.
“I don't really feel any pressure or necessity to play a certain schedule,” he said. “And things have changed in the last year, year and a half for me. I achieved that historic No. 1, weeks for No. 1, that I worked for all my life. Now that that's done and dusted, I prioritize slams and big tournaments really and where I want to play, where I feel good.
“We still have not spoken about the schedule, Goran and I. We have to sit down and see what the news are from States and whether that's happening or not happening, then take it from there.”
Djokovic hinted that if he is not allowed into the US to play the US Open Series, he may play at Laver Cup next. After that he said that Davis Cup is a possibility for him.
“Could be Laver Cup, Davis Cup is coming as well,” he said. “I love playing for my country. Going to try to be part of that. Next thing you know the season is over, right? Those are the big, let's say, tournaments that I have right now in my mind.”