Ranking Reaction: Novak Djokovic returns to No. 1 after winning 10th Australian Open title

After a fortnight full of breakthroughs, there are a slew of big moves on both the ATP and WTA rankings today—but the most notable move is right at the top, with Novak Djokovic rising from No. 5 back to No. 1 after a sensational run to his 10th career Australian Open title.

Djokovic only dropped one set the entire tournament, the second set of his 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0 second-round victory over French qualifier Enzo Couacaud—and he only barely lost that set, too, having held break point in two of Couacaud’s last three service games of the set, and he also led 3-0 in the tie-break.

But he defeated all of his other opponents in straight sets, including two Top 10 players—Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final—and is now back at the top spot.

Djokovic begins his 374th career week at No. 1 today.

He was asked afterwards how much more significant winning Grand Slams and being No. 1 is at this stage of his career.

“Well, even more than probably 10 years ago, because you never know how much more time you have left,” he said.

“So, of course, I nurture and celebrate these moments of becoming No. 1 again and Grand Slam champion even more than I have maybe ever in my career. I don’t take it for granted.

“As I said, it’s just so fresh. I just came off the court. Of course, I have to reflect and sleep over a few nights and just realize what I’ve been through with my team. Of course, it makes me incredibly proud, but it also is a huge relief because it hasn’t been smooth sailing, so to say, on and off the court in the last three to four weeks.

“That makes this victory even more special.”

With only 250 ranking points to defend until Madrid in May, Djokovic could easily stretch his lead in the coming months, too.

A slew of Americans break into new ranking classes, too: Frances Tiafoe makes his Top 15 debut, rising from No. 17 to No. 15; Tommy Paul, fresh off his first Grand Slam semifinal, breaks into the Top 20, rising from No. 35 to No. 19; 20-year-old Ben Shelton, who became the youngest American man to reach a major quarterfinal since Andy Roddick at the 2002 US Open, soars from No. 89 to No. 44, his Top 50 debut; and J.J. Wolf also makes his Top 50 debut, jumping from No. 67 to No. 48 after his first round of 16 at a major.

The Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka also cracks the Top 50, rising from No. 71 to No. 39 after reaching his first major quarterfinal.

On the WTA rankings, Aryna Sabalenka rises from No. 5 to No. 2—a return to the career-high she first reached in 2021—after powering to the first Grand Slam title of her career, and the woman she defeated in the final, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, more than halves her ranking, rising from No. 25 to No. 10.

Rybakina is the first player representing Kazakhstan, male or female, ever to reach the Top 10 on either the ATP or WTA rankings.

The Kazakh would have broken into the Top 10 after winning Wimbledon last year, but there were no ranking points at that tournament—had there been, she would be up to No. 6 this week.

And last but certainly not least, Poland’s Magda Linette soars past her previous career-high of No. 33 set in 2020, rising from No. 45 to No. 22 after reaching the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.

“It’s really been so rewarding for all the hard work that we’ve done, for all the sacrifices, all these years on tour, so many Grand Slams,” Linette said after falling to Sabalenka. “It was my 30th attempt. It’s really rewarding because I really needed more than a couple tries.”