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Only 850 points separate No. 1 Djokovic and sixth-placed Medvedev in the Race
It is still early in 2019, but with the top of the ATP Race To London as tight as ever at this point of the year, ‘moving season’ will be even more important.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is trying to finish year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for a record-tying sixth time (also Pete Sampras), currently leads the Race with 2,405 points, mostly thanks to his victory at the Australian Open (2,000 points). But with a maximum of 6,000 points available at four tournaments alone from the Mutua Madrid Open through Wimbledon (Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon), there will be plenty of opportunities for players to stake their claim for the top spot or make a move to position themselves to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.

The gap between first-placed Djokovic (2,405) and sixth-placed Daniil Medvedev (1,555) is just 850 points. In recent years, it has not been nearly that close.

ATP Race To London Standings

Player Points
1. Novak Djokovic 2,405
2. Roger Federer 2,280
3. Rafael Nadal 2,145
4. Dominic Thiem 1,735
5. Stefanos Tsitsipas 1,595
6. Daniil Medvedev 1,555*Standings as of 29 April 2019
Last year before Madrid, Race leader Roger Federer led second-placed Juan Martin del Potro by 990 points. In 2017, first-placed Federer led No. 2 Nadal by 2,455 points. In 2015 and 2016 the gap between the first two players in the Race was 2,715 and 2,690 points, respectively. So whereas there is typically a bigger gap at the top of the Race, one big tournament can make a major difference for a number of the ATP Tour’s stars.
Closely following current Race leader Djokovic are Miami champion Federer (2,280), Monte-Carlo and Barcelona semi-finalist Nadal (2,145), Indian Wells titlist Dominic Thiem (1,735), reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas (1,595) and Medvedev (1,555).

A year ago, three of those players made a significant charge during ‘moving season’ from Madrid through Wimbledon. Nadal added 3,900 points to climb from third place to top spot in the Race. Djokovic, who entered Madrid 76th in the Race, earned 3,065 points to ascend to fifth place. Thiem, who made the final at Madrid and Roland Garros, added 1,980 points to charge from 11th to sixth.

Notable Points Earned From Madrid Through Wimbledon (2018)

Player Points
Novak Djokovic 3,065
Rafael Nadal 3,900
Alexander Zverev 2,050
Roger Federer 990
Dominic Thiem 1,980
What will give some of the Race’s leaders confidence is that not only are there a lot of points up for grabs over the next two months, but they are already significantly ahead of where they were last year.

Djokovic might not have advanced past the quarter-finals in his past three tournaments, but he still has 2,405 points in the Race, which is 2,115 points more than he had at this point last season. Thiem has 720 more points compared to last year and Tsitsipas has 914 more points.

Federer will also have a big chance to make a move as he gets set to compete on clay for the first time since 2016. The Swiss is scheduled to play clay-court events at Madrid and Roland Garros instead of just competing on grass ahead of the North American hard-court swing.

This stretch will also give players who are off to a slower start this season a chance to claw their way back into Race contention. Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, after losing in the Munich quarter-finals, has just 690 points this year. But in 2018 he claimed 2,050 points from Madrid through Wimbledon. Marin Cilic is trying to reach London for the fifth time, but he is currently 82nd in the Race with 245 points.

The top of the Race may be open now. But after 'moving season', the charge for year-end No. 1 should become clearer.

Two-year agreement announced

The ATP and Canary Islands have agreed to a new partnership that will see the Canary Islands become the Official Tourism Destination of the Nitto ATP Finals in London, the ATP announced on Tuesday.

The partnership will see Canary Islands Tourism become a Gold Partner of the Nitto ATP Finals across the next two editions of the prestigious season-ending tournament at The O2. The agreement includes on-court branding and hospitality.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “We’re delighted to have reached this agreement, which sees the Canary Islands become the Official Tourism Destination of the Nitto ATP Finals. As the world’s biggest indoor tennis tournament, the ATP’s season-ending tournament at The O2 offers a truly international reach and global platform to our partners and we look forward to building a successful partnership over the next two years in London.”

Buy Your 2019 Tickets Today

For the Canary Islands, sponsorship of the Nitto ATP Finals presents an opportunity to consolidate its international reach, particularly in the UK market. Isaac Castellano, Tourism Minister of the Canary Islands, said: “The Nitto ATP Finals are a perfect fit given the connection with values such as innovation and modernity, as well as an association with world-leading brands in the international market. Linking the Canary Islands with the Nitto ATP Finals will contribute to our international promotion and will complement our current strategy by offering an appropriate stage for the Canary Islands, as European leaders in the tourism sector.”

The ATP’s crown jewel event is to be held through to 2020 at The O2 in London, where it has been staged to wide acclaim since 2009. The event has successfully established itself as one of the major annual sporting events worldwide, broadcast in more than 180 territories with global viewership figures reaching an average of 95 million each year.

Spaniard earns 1,000 ATP Ranking points with Rome title
Rafael Nadal did not just win his first title of 2019 on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. By defeating top seed Novak Djokovic in the final, the 32-year-old Spaniard also turned up the heat on the Serbian in the battle for the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking.

With the 1,000 ATP Ranking points that Nadal (3,505) earned with his triumph at the Foro Italico, the nine-time Rome champion now trails first-placed Djokovic (4,005) by just 500 points in the ATP Race To London, which serves as a barometer for the chase for the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking. If Djokovic had emerged victorious, he would have taken a 1,300-point lead in the Race.

Watch Rome Final Highlights:


On the Parisian terre battue, Nadal could take the Race lead regardless of how Djokovic performs by lifting his 12th Coupe des Mousquetaires. Since the Roland Garros winner earns 800 more points than the finalist, Nadal would move into first even if Djokovic is his opponent in the final.

So although Djokovic's grip on the top spot in the ATP Rankings is in no immediate danger because defending champion Nadal cannot gain any additional points at Roland Garros this year, the battle for year-end No. 1 is red hot. And Djokovic believes his rival is the player to watch at the season’s second Grand Slam championship.

“Nadal [is the] number one favourite, without a doubt, then everyone else,” Djokovic said.

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Just a week ago, the tennis world was left wondering about Nadal’s status. He had not yet lifted a trophy on the year, his longest early-season trophy drought since 2004, when he captured his maiden tour-level crown at Sopot in August. The World No. 2 arrived in the Italian capital without making a clay-court final in three tries; all semi-final appearances in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid.

But Nadal now has momentum heading into Roland Garros. It may not become clear until later in the year when Djokovic begins to drop more points off his ATP Ranking, but Nadal is making a push to challenge for the year-end No. 1 spot.