RAFAEL NADAL THE “KING OF CLAY” OFFICIALLY REGAINS ATP MEN’S TENNIS WORLD NO. 1

 

Editors Note: This is going to be a great U.S.Open • each Slam this year has been EPIC why should this be any different. We are living in another GOLDEN AGE of tennis. Enjoy the three generations out there. There’s the 30 year olds. The 2o year olds and the teenagers. The sport is strong for the men and the ladies. It’s really unreal. And seriously still missing the mainstream…. (LJ)

 

 

Nadal officially regains world No. 1 ranking, supplants Murray heading into U.S. Open

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

With all of Andy Murray’s injury issues and all of the points he has to defend from 2016–starting at the French Open and Wimbledon–his fall from the No. 1 ranking in the world had been inevitable for some time now. The question was not “if,” but “when.”

 

Rafael Nadal had a chance to reclaim the top spot at the Rogers Cup, but he suffered a surprising third-round upset loss to Denis Shapovalov. That left both Nadal and Roger Federer with a chance heading into the Western & Southern Open. With an absent Murray seeing 600 points soon to come off the board from his 2016 runner-up performance, either Nadal or Federer was guaranteed of becoming No. 1 following the tournament.

 

Federer’s eventual withdrawal left it in no doubt.

 

Nadal ended up reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Nick Kyrgios 6-2, 7-5. With those 180 points, the Spaniard is 495 points ahead of the second-ranked Murray and 500 clear of No. 3 Federer. Nadal is also atop the 2017 race to the World Tour Finals–by 220 points over Federer.

 

“Hello guys, just want to say thank you very much to all of you for your support,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media. “It has been a very good year, and today is a special one. Going back to number one, I’m just very happy.”

 

“To regain the No. 1 ranking nine years after having first reached it is unprecedented,” said ATP president Chris Kermode. “Rafa has been setting records throughout his remarkable career and this one is as impressive as any. It shows incredible dedication and longevity, and we congratulate him on this amazing achievement.”

 

Nadal has spent a total of 141 weeks at No. 1. The 31-year-old first ascended to the top spot in August of 2008 and was last there in July of 2014. Murray was No. 1 for 41 weeks (since November of 2016) until Monday.

 

But the No. 1 distinction will be up for grabs again at the upcoming U.S. Open. Federer is not far behind and has no points to defend after missing the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam in 2016 because of a knee injury.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.