Novak Djokovic has fallen to world No 12 following the culmination of the US Open.
Djokovic had a Grand Slam to forget as he was beaten in the first round of the US Open against Mariano Navone in a five-set contest.
It capped off a difficult time for Djokovic on the North American hardcourt swing, which also featured a first round exit at the Cincinnati Open at the hands of Thiago Agustin Tirante.
As a result, Djokovic has taken another tumble in the ATP Tour rankings and he currently sits outside the top 10 for the first time in eight years.
The ATP Tour top 10 the last time it didn’t feature Novak Djokovic
1. Rafael Nadal
2. Roger Federer
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Juan Martin del Potro
5. Marin Cilic
6. Grigor Dimitrov
7. Dominic Thiem
8. Kevin Anderson
9. David Goffin
10. John Isner
The last time Djokovic was outside the top 10 was July 2nd, 2018, when injury forced the Serbian out of the very elite on the ATP Tour.
He was ranked world No 21 as a result while Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Alexander Zverev made up the top three of the rankings.
In typical Djokovic fashion, however, he bounced back very quickly. The Serbian won Wimbledon a few weeks later to climb back into the top 10.
Until his tumble to world No 12 this season, Djokovic had not left the top 10 of the rankings, which is yet another extraordinary feat for the tennis legend.
Djokovic’s latest tumble has had a knock-on effect to the legacy of the ‘big three’, too, as this is the first time one of Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic have not been inside the top 10 since the 2002 season when Federer first entered.
More Novak Djokovic news
The Serbian has a good opportunity to return to the top 10 of the rankings in the remaining months of the season, though.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is only defending 600 ranking points until now and the end of the season. He’s also set to play the China Open in September, which he did not play last year, so he has a free hit for ranking points.
The only tournament Djokovic won last year during this period was the Hellenic Championships in Athens, which takes place once again in November.
Djokovic also played the Shanghai Masters in 2025, which saw him reach the semi finals of the competition before he was defeated by eventual winner Valentin Vacherot.
There is every chance Djokovic returns to the ATP Tour top 10 very quickly and this is just a mere blip in the legend’s career as he continues his swansong in the sport.
