26-year-old Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open and was the runner-up at this year’s Australian Open, moved up a spot in the ATP rankings on Monday to become the number 1 tennis player in the world, replacing Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic, having participated in only one tournament so far this year over his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19, moved to the second spot. Medvedev is the first player since 2004 to hold the top spot besides the Big 4, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Medvedev is also the third Russian to achieve the feat, following Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin who were in the top spot for six and nine weeks, respectively.

Amid the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Medvedev stated that the accolade came with mixed emotions. “It’s a huge honour to take over this spot. I’m sure everyone can understand it comes with mixed emotions that it happens this week. Thank you to my wife, team, sponsors, friends, & everyone that has helped along the way. It's a long journey and I look forward to the years ahead,” he wrote on social media.

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