Next Monday the new edition of the US Open begins which, in addition to fighting for the title, presents this year the incentive of knowing who will leave New York as number 1 in the world.
Although the tournament starts with Daniil Medvedev at the top of the standings, the virtual leader is Rafa Nadal. The Spaniard currently has 5,630 points to the Russian’s 6,885 who, however, is defending 2,000 at the last Grand Slam of the season, so the ‘real’ number he faces in the event is 4,885.
So, the current number 1 must add 745 points more than Nadal to stay on the throne. That means he is obliged to reach the final, if Nadal fails to pass the quarterfinals, or defend the title, in which case it will be equal to the result of the Spanish player.
Medvedev arrives in New York as the favorite, although neither in Montreal nor in Cincinnati could he win the title. An inspired Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas proved that the Russian is beatable even in his favorite moment of the season.
Candidate Alcaraz
Another good candidate is Carlos Alcaraz. The Murcian will start with 4,740 points (145 less than Medvedev), so he also needs to reach the final or win the title to become, at 19 years and four months, the youngest number 1 in history, beating the record of Lleyton Hewitt (20). years, 8 months and 23 days).
The one from El Palmar faces the tournament with doubts after his latest results. Defeats in the finals in Hamburg and Umag dented the confidence of the revelation player of the seasonwhich eventually heralded the first change to the Montreal Masters 1000.
Last week’s quarterfinals in Cincinnati represented a step forward for a player who will be looking to reconnect with his best version on the stage that saw him shine last year with his epic third-round victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Certainly the Greek is another contender for the throne of world tennis. His last in Cincinnati allowed him to start the tournament with 4,800 points, so he can become number 1 if he wins the tournament and Nadal doesn’t reach the finalor if he reaches the final and Balearic doesn’t make it to the quarterfinals.
Casper Ruud is in the same situation. The Norwegian, a finalist this year at Roland Garros, is the fifth and final candidate for number 1 after confirmation of Alexander Zverev’s withdrawal due to injurycurrent world number 2 unable to defend the 720 points added in last year’s semifinals.
In short, that’s an exciting match could complete Rafa Nadal’s resurgence in a year to remember after his Australian Open and Roland Garros titles.
ATP Rankings
After deducting US Open 2021 points
1. Rafael Nadal 5,630 points
The2. Alexander Zverev 5,040*
3. Daniel Medvedev 4,885
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas 4,800
5. Carlos Alcaraz 4,740
6. Casper Ruud 4,650
7. Novak Djokovic 3,570*
*Not included this year
US Open points distribution
Champion: 2,000 points
Finalists: 1,200
Semifinals: 720
Quarterfinals: 360
Round of 16: 180
third round: 90
Second round: Four. Five
First round: 10
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
