Daniil Medvedev enters top-2 instead of Rafael Nadal and writes history

On March 15, Daniil Medvedev will become world no. 2 for the first time in a career, moving in front of Rafael Nadal and becoming only the fourth top-2 player since 2005!

On July 25, 2005, the Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal became world no. 2 behind Roger Federer, with only two more players entering the top positions in the previous 15 and a half years, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have been the players to beat for a decade and a half, dominating the fightest ranking positions and never letting anyone stealing those from them. It will all change in eight days when Rafael Nadal loses 180 points from Indian Wells 2019, enough to propel Medvedev into the top-2 for the first time.

The Russian earned a chance to pass Rafa following an incredible streak from the last year's Paris Masters, winning 20 consecutive matches before Novak Djokovic toppled him in the Australian Open final.

With those points, Daniil moved closer to Rafa and will now pass him on the ATP ranking list, regardless of this week's early Rotterdam exit or the next week's Marseille result. Medvedev is the 38th top-2 player since 1973 and the 31st youngest at 25.