Federer was close to the three digits and who is the newest member of the Top Ten of world tennis

The ATP rankings update this Monday didn’t show many interesting changes, but it always hides stories. Indeed, the Swiss Roger Federer was very close to appearing in the three digits while preparing his return to the professional circuit, within a ranking that included a return to the Top Tenwhich remains led by the Russian Daniel Medvedevdespite the two defeats in consecutive finals.

Federer has been inactive since July 2021 due to a problem in his right knee and has already had a confirmed return date for several months: the Laver Cup, the exhibition that he organizes and which will be held from 23 to 25 September at the O2 London Arena. .

To see him play for points we will have to wait a little longer: he will be at the tournament in Basel, his home, from 24 to 30 October.

The Swiss, winner of 103 professional titles, announced a few weeks ago that he will no longer play 20 tournaments per season and will put together a “smaller and more manageable schedule”.

But in this Monday’s update, the ranking places it in 96th placeafter losing 28 places for the 250 points he left along the way.

Federer played his last game July 7, 2021when he fell in three sets against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. The English Grand Slam was only his fifth appearance in a season in which he was dosing his efforts to not expect more from a right knee that wasn’t 100 per cent.

But on the tour on the grass (Halle had played before going to London) the discomfort in the area returned and in August he announced that he would be operated on again to have knee surgery for the third time.

Hurkacz is the other protagonist of the small changes in the top positions of the standings: after winning the ATP 500 in Halle, on the grass, the Pole snatched 10th place from the Italian Matteo Berrettiwho kept his crown at Queen’s but dropped to eleventh place.

Above all it remains the same. Daniil Medvedev, who lost his second consecutive final and third of the season against Hurkacz this Sunday – where he did not win any titles -, remained on the top step of the podium followed by the German Alexander Zverev and the Serbian Novak Djokovic.

Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz maintain the fourth and seventh place respectively. And one of those who rose the most was Australian Nick Kyrgios who moved up 20 places to 45 after being semifinalist this weekend.

The Argentines? Diego Schwartzman of Buenos Aires moved up one position and was 15th in the ranking, which places Sebastian Baez in the 36th after falling back two squares.

Among the top 100 there are also Francesco Cerundolo (42 °, -2), Federico Coria (70º, -6), Thomas Etcheverry (79 °, +1) e Frederic Delbonis (85 °, +4).