Despite an early exit from the Monte Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic is set to retain his No. 5 ATP ranking thanks to surprising losses by his closest rivals.
Entering the tournament as world No. 5 and defending 400 points from a semi-final finish last year, Djokovic fell in the second round to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, who defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-3, 6-4. The loss means Djokovic will drop 390 points when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday.
“It was actually more like the worst day,” Djokovic said candidly after the match.
“I was hoping this wouldn’t happen, but honestly, I had a feeling it might. I knew I’d struggle, but not this badly. It was horrible.”
However, despite the early exit, Djokovic’s ranking is safe for now—thanks in large part to a series of upsets among the top 10:
- Jack Draper, Djokovic’s closest challenger, earned only 90 points after a third-round loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Draper remains just behind Djokovic in the No. 6 spot.
- Casper Ruud, ranked No. 7, dropped 550 points after a round-of-16 loss to Alexei Popyrin. Ruud had reached the final last year, and the loss will see him fall to at least No. 10.
- Andrey Rublev also missed his chance to overtake Djokovic, falling 6-2, 6-3 to Arthur Fils. He too only gained 90 points.
One player, however, still has a shot at passing Djokovic: Alex de Minaur. The Australian would need to win the entire Monte Carlo tournament—his first potential Masters 1000 title—to surpass the Serb. If he does, he’ll edge ahead with 4,135 points, just 15 more than Djokovic.
Interestingly, Djokovic has been clear that climbing the ATP rankings is no longer a priority.
“It’s not my goal at all,” he said in September 2024.
“My focus is no longer on ATP rankings or Masters events. From now on, it’s Grand Slams and representing Serbia.”
