‘Madness Has Reshuffled the Cards’ – Tennis Legend on Daniil Medvedev Overtaking Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Justine Henin is no stranger to the World No. 1 position, having herself been at the top of the WTA singles rankings for a total of 117 weeks. She recently spoke about the rankings shift that took place on the ATP tour as Daniil Medvedev reigned supreme over Novak Djokovic to clinch the first position. 

The Belgian tennis star elaborated on how she finds the current time on the ATP tour quite exciting, given how Medvedev reached the top spot. Despite his current dominance, it might be a bit difficult for Rafael Nadal to aim for the top spot. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic is waiting for a chance to play at a tournament that does not have a vaccine mandate.

Also read: ‘It’s Their Rules’: Daniil Medvedev Breaks His Silence Amidst the Controversy Surrounding Novak Djokovic

Henin thinks Daniil Medvedev will have to prove his worth

“Daniil Medvedev’s position as No. 1 is a little different to Barty’s. You always like to see a player claim that spot during a dominant period because it gives more weight to the achievement,” she told Eurosport.

Justine Henin said that it would have been great if the Russian had taken over the no.1 spot by defeating Rafael Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open.

“Right now, it seems the top spot in the men’s game lacks a little bit of authority and it’s difficult to really judge it, so I find this period very exciting. Who can say what will happen in the coming months? We are in a huge uncertainty, and after everything we have been through recently, I think it could be very exciting!” she continued.

Henin believes that the burden that comes with the no.1 ranking will be huge and believes that Daniil knows how to tackle the same.

“Can this new status be a burden for him? Yes, but he is still prepared for it and he has shown that he can handle the pressure. But he has to become stronger on other surfaces if he wants to settle as world No. 1 for the long run.”

The former world no.1 concluded by saying that it would be a test of time for Daniil Medvedev to prove his mettle at the top. The Russian star is all set to appear at the Indian Wells Masters this week.

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