Will Medvedev Extend Live Race Lead Over Djokovic In Monte-Carlo?

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

The battle for top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin between Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic could significantly change based on one potential match at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters should it come to fruition.

Medvedev and Djokovic will meet in the semi-finals of the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event if they both advance that far. If that blockbuster clash plays out, the result would drastically impact the Live Race.

Medvedev (3,030 points) enters the clay-court season with a 600-point lead over second-placed Djokovic (2,430). If the 27-year-old defeats Djokovic in the Monte-Carlo semi-finals and goes on to claim his first clay-court crown, he would take a 1,240-point advantage over his rival in the Live Race.

However, it goes both ways. If the superstars meet in the semi-finals but Djokovic emerges victorious and goes on to clinch his record-extending 39th Masters 1000 trophy, he would depart the Principality in first place in the Live Race by 40 points.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (as of 7 April)

Another thing to keep in mind is that Medvedev has made clear he does not favour clay, a surface on which he has won 43.9 per cent of his tour-level matches compared to 80.3 per cent for Djokovic. Although Medvedev has lifted four trophies this season and no other player has earned more than two (Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz), the Live Race battle will be one to watch early in the clay-court season.

Djokovic is second, having earned 2,000 points with his Australian Open title at the start of the season. Monte-Carlo will be his first appearance since losing to Medvedev in the Dubai semi-finals.

The top of the Live Race is jam-packed and a lot can change over the course of a week, especially at a Masters 1000 event like the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Third-placed Alcaraz and ninth-placed Karen Khachanov are separated by just 695 points.

In other storylines to watch in the coming weeks, three of the Top 10 players in the Live Race are from the United States. Two of the Americans, seventh-placed Tommy Paul and 10th-placed Frances Tiafoe, are trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

Paul and Tiafoe are not the only players seeking their debut at the season finale. Of the Top 30 players in the Live Race, 20 have never competed in the Nitto ATP Finals.