Ranking Reaction: Medvedev returns to No. 1, Zverev sets new career-high of No. 2

With points from the 2020 and 2021 editions of Roland Garros falling off the ATP rankings today, there are some major shake-ups—especially at the top of the pack.

First (literally) is Daniil Medvedev’s return to No. 1. The reigning US Open champion, who spent his first three career weeks at the top spot from February 28th to March 20th earlier this year, moves back up there from No. 2 after reaching the 24th ATP final of his career—and second on grass—in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Right behind him is Alexander Zverev, who rises from No. 3 to a new career-high of No. 2 despite not playing this past week—but he did reach the semifinals of Roland Garros a few weeks ago, matching his semifinal points from 2021. Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, falls from No. 1 to No. 3 after earning 360 quarterfinal points in Paris this year, but seeing his 2,000 champion’s points from 2021 dropping off this week.

With Djokovic at No. 3, 2022 Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal at No. 4 and Roger Federer down at No. 68 this week, this is the first time since the week of November 10th, 2003 that none of the Big 3 are in the Top 2 of the ATP rankings.

ATP RANKINGS THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 10TH, 2003:
No. 1: Andy Roddick (USA)
No. 2: Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
... No. 3: Roger Federer (SUI)
... No. 47: Rafael Nadal (ESP)
... No. 680: Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Federer would rise to No. 2 on November 17th, 2003, and since then at least one of the Big 3 would be in the Top 2 at any given time until today—that’s more than 18 and a half years, and 947 weeks of ATP rankings (not including the 22 weeks the ATP rankings were frozen due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020).

Meanwhile, Casper Ruud makes his Top 5 debut, rising from No. 6 to No. 5 a week after reaching his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. Stefanos Tsitsipas drops his finalist’s points from 2021 this week, causing him to dip down from No. 5 to No. 6.

Ruud is the first Norwegian in ATP rankings history to break into the Top 5 and ninth Scandinavian overall, joining eight Swedes: Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg all reached No. 1; Magnus Norman reached No. 2; Jonas Bjorkman, Thomas Enqvist and Robin Soderling all got to No. 4; and Anders Jarryd peaked at No. 5.

A little further down the ATP rankings, two of last week's other standouts make big moves: Andy Murray, who reached the Stuttgart final before barely falling to Matteo Berrettini, rises from No. 68 to No. 47, his first time in the Top 50 since returning to the tour from his first hip surgery in 2018; and Tim van Rijthoven, who went all the way to his first ATP title in ’s-Hertogenbosch as a No. 205-ranked wild card—taking out No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 2 Medvedev along the way, among others—soars to No. 106 this week, obliterating his previous career-high ranking of No. 175.

And there are a few big movers on the WTA rankings this week, too, with China’s Zheng Qinwen rising from No. 54 to No. 46—her Top 50 debut—after winning a WTA 125K title on clay in Valencia, Spain, and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia jumping from No. 48 to No. 32 after capturing her first WTA title on grass in Nottingham.

Haddad Maia only just cracked the Top 50 a week before Roland Garros.