DOUBLE FAULT

Tennis Star Novak Djokovic Tumbles From No. 1 Ranking After Dubai Loss

Djokovic had savored the top spot for more than two years but lost it during a nearly two-hour matchup against Jiri Vesely on Thursday.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has given up his spot as the world’s highest ranked men’s tennis player after losing a quarterfinal match at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday. Djokovic had savored the No.1 spot for more than two years but lost it during a nearly two-hour matchup against Jiri Vesely, a tournament qualifier from the Czech Republic. Vesely beat Djokovic, 6-4 7-6 (7-4). Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, will seize the top spot when the Association of Tennis Professionals posts its fresh rankings next week. The 26-year-old Russian won the 2021 U.S. Open then lost to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final last month. “It’s great for tennis to have somebody new at world number one again,” Vesely said. “Tennis needs, of course, new number ones. A new generation is coming through.” The reshuffled ranking is not the only loss for Djokovic in recent months. In January, he stunned fans and lost a legal battle to play in Australia over his desire to remain unvaccinated.