Novak Djokovic: 'They touched my heart'

• Tennis News
• Novak Djokovic

After the tournaments in St. Petersburg and Vienna we had anticipated it but now it's official. The ranking is historic for the blue colors given that for the first time in history there are two Italians in the top ten in the world.

In history, only five Italians have been among the top 10 and now we even have two at the same time as Matteo Berrettini already with the guaranteed place for the Finals in Turin and Jannik Sinner instead still fighting, in particular with Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz.

All of them will face off in the Paris Bercy Masters 1000. The only movement of the Top Ten smiles to the blues with Jannik Sinner who gains two positions and becomes number nine in the world. Zverev remains fourth but gains points over Tsitsipas as Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem, still in the pits due to injury, leaves the Top Ten.

Best Ranking for Aslan Karatsev, new number 18 in the world. Lorenzo Sonego loses five positions who thus becomes number 28 in the world, the winner of St. Petersburg Marin Cilic gains 6, immediately behind Sonego in the standings.

Best Ranking for number 35 in the world Carlos Alcaraz, semifinalist in Vienna who gains seven positions in the standings. Fabio Fognini loses one position while Frances Tiafoe gains eight places just behind. Brandon Nakashima and Jenson Brooksby continue to climb positions in the standings and in different ways break into the circuit.

Among the Italians, Gianluca Mager is doing well, gaining two positions, stable Musetti. Travaglia and Cecchinato also gain two positions in the Top 100, recovering more downhill than in the last few weeks. Novak Djokovic was chasing a Calendar Golden Slam earlier this year but failed to win a medal at the Olympics.

Djokovic interacted with the media

Novak Djokovic is now on the cusp of ending the season as World No. 1 for the seventh time in his career. If he does seal the top spot again, it would break the tie he currently shares with Pete Sampras.

"The year-end No. 1 is on the line between Medvedev and myself, and I'm in a pretty good position in terms of the ranking points and the race," Djokovic said. "So that's obviously the goal for the end of the season other than trying to do well in the Davis Cup with the national team.

Hopefully I can have a strong finish of the season and clinch that year-end No. 1." Djokovic reiterated on Sunday that he was very grateful for the response he received from the New York crowd this year. He even claimed that the fan support was "a win for life", despite the fact that he lost the final.

"Of course I'm disappointed that I lost the match, but I feel like I was blessed to experience love from the crowd and support from the stadium that I have never experienced before in my life in New York, and actually not in many places around the world," Djokovic said.

"And that kind of energy that I received from the crowd, from the moment I stepped in the court until I stepped out, is a win for life, is a win for for this human relationship. They just, as I said, on the court touched my heart."