Medvedev Becomes #2 in Men’s Tennis for the First Time

We’ve been waiting for a new wave in men’s tennis forever and Daniil Medvedev is leading the way. The Russian is now second in the ATP rankings which makes him the first player outside of the Big Four to reach the Top 2 since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray have been dominating the sport for a decade and a half, occupying the highest two spots in the standings.

Medvedev’s breakthrough begs the question of whether the young guard is finally ready to take over.

Many believed that Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas would reach the top 2 in the middle of 2019, but that’s when Daniil Medvedev stepped up big time.

The Russian had one of the most remarkable runs at the end of this year, finishing second in the US Open and reaching several big finals in the second half of 2019.

After a bit of a setback in men’s tennis because of the health crisis in 2020, Medvedev kept pushing when the sport returned, winning the ATP Tour Finals 2020, the ATP Cup 2021, and reaching the Australian Open 2021 final.

World No.2 @DaniilMedwed is doing great things.

?14-2 in 2021
?? @ATPCup champions, winning all four matches played
?? Second Grand Slam final at #AO2021
? 10th @atptour title at the @Open13 pic.twitter.com/UqTa6IizIC

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) March 15, 2021

That was enough to overcome Rafael Nadal for the second spot in the ATP rankings. The Spaniard’s injuries and Roger Federer’s declining health certainly helped, but make no mistake – Medvedev is here to stay.

The 25-year old is just entering his best days and his remarkable consistency makes him a prime candidate for the next number one in the standings.

The phenomenal performances of Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the last two Grand Slams suggest that the big guns are not ready to call it a day yet.

It would be foolish to ignore the returning Roger Federer either, but it looks like some of the youngsters on the tour might be ready to step up to the challenge.

After the previous generation failed to dismantle the Big Four, there are several players that are set to write their own names in the history books.

Dominic Thiem already won his maiden Grand Slam and Medvedev broke into the Top 2, while the likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev have improved dramatically.

They will be desperate to find success at the highest level and they look destined for big titles in the near future.

All things considered, 2021 should be one of the most entertaining years in modern tennis. Djokovic and Nadal are still going strong, we should see more of Roger Federer, and there’s a hungry group of top talents that are chasing the legends.

If you add the uncertainty surrounding female tennis since Serena Williams is no longer dominating everyone else, every Grand Slam looks wide open.

There are three more left for the year and there’s the Tokyo Olympics, so this season is going to be a feast for all tennis fans.