This Is How Medvedev Can Reach World No. 1 At Wimbledon...
It will not be easy, but Daniil Medvedev has a chance to become the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings after Wimbledon.
If the Russian star wins The Championships, he will ascend to the top of the tennis mountain. If he advances to the final and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic does not, he will also achieve the feat.
Medvedev will be fully focused on each match in front of him, though. In the first round, he will play dangerous German Jan-Lennard Struff. The big-hitting 31-year-old defeated the World No. 2 earlier this month in Halle, but Medvedev leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-1. Also in the 25-year-old's quarter are eight-time champion Roger Federer, former World No. 3 Marin Cilic and Miami titlist Hubert Hurkacz among others.
The reigning Nitto ATP Finals winner has never made it past the third round at SW19 in three previous attempts. In 2017, he upset fifth seed Stan Wawrinka in the first round for what was his biggest win to date.
Djokovic arrives at SW19 with plenty of momentum. The Serbian has won the first two Grand Slam titles of the year at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, putting him halfway to the Calendar-Year Grand Slam. The top seed is chasing his sixth trophy at The Championships and his third consecutive victory at the grass-court major.
If Medvedev is able to win his first Grand Slam title and therefore climb to World No. 1, he will become the first player outside the Big Four (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray) to reach tennis’ pinnacle since Andy Roddick in November 2003.
Medvedev reached a career-high World No. 2 for the first time this March, ending the Big Four's grip on the top two spots. Before Medvedev moved to No. 2, the last player outside Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray to hold a place in the top two was Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005.