‘Rafael Nadal will be year-end world number one,’ predicts Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev believes Rafael Nadal will beat him to the year-end world number one crown this season.

With Novak Djokovic dropping down the rankings and Alexander Zverev is struggling with injury, it looks increasingly likely that Medvedev and Nadal will be the last two men standing in the race.

Medvedev tops the rankings right now, but he will have to have an exceptional US hardcourt swing just to hold onto the points he already has.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, missed this part of the season last year, so he has a lot of potential to gain points.

That, according to Daniil Medevedev, makes the Spaniard the favourite.

“For sure I’m watching [the battle for No. 1] a little bit,” Medvedev told ATPTour.com.

“Depends also the moment because I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafa [Nadal].

But at the same time, I can keep it for quite a long time I feel like if I play good here in the [North American hard-court swing].”

“I know that the most important is to try to win tournaments, try to win those points. Then you can keep [world number one].”

Medvedev was not allowed to play Wimbledon, so he is playing his first tournament since June in Los Cabos this week.

However, he says he has no idea how quickly he can regain some rhythm quickly.

“It’s always different, but for sure winning matches is the most important,” Medvedev said.

“Every opponent can be tough, so the more matches you win, the more confidence you gain, the more you start feeling your game better, what you have to do better, so that’s what I’m going to try to do here in Los Cabos.”

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