By Chris Oddo | Thursday, May 1, 2014

 

If he doesn't reach next week's Madrid Open quarterfinals, Rafael Nadal could lose the No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic.

Photo Source: Corleve

Novak Djokovic could surpass Rafael Nadal for the ATP's No. 1 ranking in Madrid by the end of next week.

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The Serb, who lost in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open to Grigor Dimitrov in 2013, only received 10 ranking points for his effort. That leaves the door open for a possible big swing, as World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is defending the 1,000 points he earned while taking the title in 2013.

If Nadal fails to reach the quarterfinals and Djokovic wins the title, the Serb would begin Rome as the No. 1 player in the world. If he succeeds, it would be the first time since October 6, 2013 that the six-time Grand Slam champion would hold the top spot.

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Nadal currently holds a 1,860 point advantage, but once the tournament begins in Madrid, Nadal's advantage will shrink by 990 points. If Nadal and Djokovic both bow out in the same round the Spaniard will begin the Rome Masters with a lead of 870 points. That lead will quickly dwindle in Rome, as Nadal is defending another 1000 points there, while Djokovic will only drop his 180 quarterfinal points.

Here's a breakdown of the rankings scenarios for Madrid: