![\"Djokovic](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/02\/340689\/pickerImage.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhenever Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer are in a tournament, the vast majority of people bank on one of them winning the title.<\/p>\n
But maybe the time has arrived when attention swings to others.<\/p>\n
Of the last four big events in 2020, three were won by players not named Djokovic, Nadal or Federer, and with that there has been movement in the world rankings.<\/p>\n
Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev are the front runners, and these are the guys who could displace the current top two \u2013 Djokovic and Nadal.<\/p>\n
Sure, it will be hard to do but it is absolutely possible.<\/p>\n
Djokovic will equal Federer's record of 310 weeks at No.1.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Serb will achieve that on March 1. He cannot be stopped in that chase.<\/p>\n
However, Nadal could throw a spanner in the works and delay Djokovic from breaking the Federer record a week later.<\/p>\n
That record is one of two aspirational quests for Djokovic \u2013 the other is outdoing Federer and Nadal for most majors. They sit on 20 and Djokovic is on 17.<\/p>\n
Nadal can add 2640 points between now and March 8 and with that it is conceivable he could frustrate Djokovic and delay him getting the record, which 'Nole' wouldn't be thrilled about.<\/p>\n
Nadal will continue his record of 800-plus weeks in the top 10, which is something no other player has achieved.<\/p>\n
![\"Nadal](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/02\/340042\/pickerImage.jpg\")
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That is a record Djokovic is not likely to break; right now he is not even in the top five.<\/p>\n
For the record, the top five for weeks in the top 10 are: Nadal (800 and counting), Jimmy Connors (789), Federer (734), Ivan Lendl (619), Pete Sampras (565).<\/p>\n
And then it will get interesting, as Thiem could find out that it is his time to surge ahead<\/a>.<\/p>\n That will see Djokovic fighting a battle to hold on to No.1 on a second front.<\/p>\n Thiem will be dropping the 1000 points from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells that he earned by beating Federer to win the 2019 title.<\/p>\n Remember the tournament was cancelled in 2020 and there was a lot of rejigging with how the ranking points would work.<\/p>\n The Austrian then sees opportunities open up for himself to reach world No.1, starting with the European clay-court season.<\/p>\n It will be based on his own results as well as those around him \u2013 Djokovic, Nadal and No.4 Medvedev, who could very well make a play for No.2 and thwart Novak and Rafa.<\/p>\n Adding to the moves, an inactive Federer might drop out of the top 10 – although he does have about two and a half times the points of Gael Monfils, who is ranked 11.<\/p>\n Never mind The Queen's Gambit<\/em>, we could be watching The King's Gambit unfold in 2021.<\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"ATP](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/02\/340107\/pickerImage.jpg\")
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