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Novak Djokovic cops huge blow in Roger Federer rankings debate

Australian Associated Press
·2-min read
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are pictured at Wimbledon, 2019.
Novak Djokovic's quest to break Roger Federer's record for the most weeks as world no.1 has hit a snag. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic has reportedly missed out on a leg up in the race to top Roger Federer’s record number of weeks as the world’s No.1 tennis player.

Djokovic, 32, sat atop the rankings when the ATP Tour was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, while world No.4 Federer was already on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery.

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The ATP published the last world rankings on March 16.

The update gave Djokovic his 282nd week as No.1 - and his tally will stop there until tennis resumes.

The ATP has not yet officially made its decision public but French newspaper L’Equipe reports the rankings have been frozen for the duration of the shutdown.

In addition to earning points via match wins, points drop off after 52 weeks to ensure the rankings are an accurate representation of current form.

The decision to postpone rankings activity - while fair - is a fresh blow in Djokovic’s quest to surpass Pete Sampras (286 weeks as No.1) and reach the 38-year-old Federer’s record of 310 weeks at the top.

As the Swiss managed just 48 weeks as No.1 in the 2010s, the Serb caught up to Federer with a whopping 275 weeks.

Pandemic travel restrictions wreak havoc on Tour schedule

While Djokovic would be favoured to reach Federer’s record in the near future, global travel restrictions appear likely to leave the sport on hold for some months yet.

Wimbledon has already been cancelled for 2020, while Roland Garros has been shifted to September by French tennis officials.

The ATP and WTA are yet to decide on the process of a return to play, including what the world rankings should look like.

Australian Ashleigh Barty is the women’s world No.1, with Ajla Tomljanovic (56) and Samantha Stosur (97) the other Aussies women in the top 100.

Alex De Minaur is Australia’s highest ranked men’s player at No.26, ahead of Nick Kyrgios (40), Jordan Thompson (64) and James Duckworth (83).