Many may think this is a surprise; however, two things you should know about this victory. Jiri Vesely had a winning head-to-head record against Djokovic of 2:0. Never mind that one was a walkover. Second, no matter what Novak Djokovic says, the media attention has to have disrupted his concentration at some level.
Vesely Pulls Off Another Big Victory
2016 was the year that Jiri Vesely got his first victory over Novak Djokovic. A special victory because it was at an ATP Masters 1000 event. This victory in Dubai is still surprising because Vesely is far from his top form since coming back from injury. Currently ranked at one-hundred and twenty-three, this victory speaks volumes. It shows that you can never take a player for granted. This also shows the importance of having a victory over a top player, because it gives you confidence to believe you can do it again. Jiri faltered when he tried to serve out the match; however, he pulled it out 6-4, 7-6(4) in the tiebreaker.
Embed from Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic Not At His Best
Still, many should think that as the number one ranked player, he would rise to the challenge of defeating someone ranked so low. Whatever the reason, he just could not pull of the victory today. The Czech player ends the Serbians reign at number one.
Sine the computerized ranking came into effect, the Serbian has the greatest number of weeks at number one [361 weeks]. However, Roger Federer still retains the lead as the player with the longest consecutive weeks at number one [237 weeks].
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat Does This Mean For Men’s Tennis?
It was bound to happen at some point. No player reigns forever. The writing was on the wall as the fabled top four has been toppled by injuries. Add to this is the rising crop of talented young players eager to stake their claim at the top. Daniil Medvedev, currently ranked number two, will be the first player to be ranked number one outside of the fabled top four. This is truly an accomplishment for the Russian. His I don’t care attitude and his squabbles with umpires and fans may add some spice to the game, but is he a good ambassador for the sport?
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