Novak Djokovic has had a year to forget so far.- After being barred from the Australian Open, he will now lose his world number one ranking.
Novak Djokovic will lose his world number one ranking for the first time in over two years after being knocked out of the Dubai
Playing in his first tournament since missing the Australian Open, the Serbian was beaten 6-4, 7-6 in the quarterfinals by world number 123 Jiri Vesely on Thursday.
The defeat means Djokovic, who has been at the top of the men's ATP rankings since February 2020, will be surpassed by Daniil Medvedev on Monday.
It also means Medvedev will become the first number one in 18 years that isn't Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Andy Murray.
"He deserves to be number one" Djokovic said of Medvedev at the weekend, prior to the tournament in Dubai. "Eventually it's going to happen.
"If it happens this week, I'll be the first one to congratulate him."
Shortly after his defeat to Vesely, Djokovic did exactly that, sharing a photo of himself and Medvedev to his Instagram story.
"Congratulations to a very deserving [Daniil Medvedev] who will now become world number one," he wrote alongside a series of clapping emojis.
Medvedev takes on Nadal in the semifinals of the Mexico Open on Friday in a repeat of the 2022 Australian Open final, which was won by the Spaniard.
It's already been a tough year for Djokovic, who found himself unable to play in January's Australian Open due to him being unvaccinated against COVID-19.
The 34-year-old had travelled to Melbourne prior to the open under the impression he had been given a medical exemption that would allow him to compete without a vaccine, but he was deported after an investigation revealed he had provided false information on his visa application.
His absence in Australia accelerated his fall from the top of the rankings and things could yet get worse for him, with the organizers of the French Open confirming that he will not be able to compete this year unless he gets vaccinated.
Speaking earlier this month, Djokovic said he would rather miss future Grand Slams than take a vaccine.
"That is the price that I'm willing to pay," he said. "The principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else."