Djokovic reclaims world No. 1 spot, Nadal slips out of top 100
Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Coupe des Mousquetaires after winning the Men's final match at the Roland Garros French Open tennis tournament, at Pont de Bir-Hakeim near the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, June 12, 2023. (EPA Photo)


Novak Djokovic's historic 23rd Grand Slam victory at the French Open propelled him back to the top of the world rankings, while Rafael Nadal endured a surprising drop out of the top 100 for the first time in two decades.

Djokovic, 36, began his record-extending 388th week at the summit on Monday, jumping two places in the standings after his victory in Paris at the weekend. He beat Spaniard Alcaraz in the semifinals of the tournament.

Alcaraz dropped to second place while Daniil Medvedev, who crashed out in the first round, also slid one place down to third. Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud remained in fourth place.

Nadal, a 14-times French Open champion, has endured an injury-plagued season and not played since January because of a hip injury sustained during the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old has dropped from 15th to 136th in the rankings due to his continued absence from the tour. He underwent surgery earlier this month and is expected to be out for five months.

In the women's rankings, Iga Swiatek retained top spot after defending her French Open title. She has held the ranking since April 2022, moving to the summit following Ash Barty's retirement.

Aryna Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in January, had the chance to overtake Swiatek but lost to Karolina Muchova in the semifinals and remained in second place. French Open finalist Muchova climbed from 43rd to a career-high 16th.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who withdrew before her third-round match in Paris due to illness, climbed up one place to third.

Jessica Pegula dropped two places to fifth, while Beatriz Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to reach the top 10 following her dream run to the semifinals of the French Open.