Djokovic returns to ATP No. 1 wit 23rd Slam title

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz there, after winning the French Open for a men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title.

Djokovic now will add to the record he already held for the most weeks leading the tennis rankings — men’s or women’s — since the computerized system was set up a half-century ago.

“So, of course, when you talk about history, people mostly talk about the Grand Slams won or the amount of time you spent at the No. 1 rankings,” Djokovic said. “I have managed to break the records in both of these statistics, which is amazing.”

Iga Swiatek, the women’s champion at Roland Garros, kept her spot atop the WTA rankings, where she has been for more than a year. She could have been overtaken by No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, depending on the results in Paris.

Djokovic had been No. 3 going into the year’s second major tournament, but winning it for the third time after exiting in the quarterfinals a year ago provided the points boost he needed to jump up to No. 1. He defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals on Friday, then got past Casper Ruud 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final on Sunday.

It gave Djokovic three championships at Roland Garros, adding to his 10 from the Australian Open, seven from Wimbledon and three from the U.S. Open. He had been tied with rival Rafael Nadal with 22 major trophies.

Alcaraz dropped to No. 2, Daniil Medvedev slid one place to No. 3 after a first-round exit in Paris, while Ruud remained at No. 4.

Nadal hasn’t played since January because of a hip injury and so was unable to defend his title at the French Open. The inactivity sent him out of the Top 100 on Monday, to No. 136. –AP