The ATP Rankings have undergone a slight change in the Top-10, with Novak Djokovic’s distance from the pinnacle of the tennis totem pole increasing. The Legendary Serb now sits at No. 8 — lowest since 2022, yet the drop has broader implications. This marked the last week for the Wimbledon cutoff, with current rankings set to determine the seedings at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. And if looking up wasn’t bad enough, Djokovic saw a familiar face go above him.

Taylor Fritz now sits at No.7 with 3915 points, a notable 155 points ahead of Djokovic. The American has turned his season on the grass, reaching consecutive finals at the Stuttgart Open and at the Halle Open, where he could not cross the line, losing to his compatriots, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. However, his finals run at Halle yielded 280 points, pushing him ahead of Djokovic, whom he has never beaten in 11 meetings.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner, on the other hand, has yet to play a competitive match on grass this year. Fans last saw him at the French Open, where his campaign was cut short by Brazil’s Joao Fonseca in the third round. Losing to the No. 27 cost Djokovic a hefty 700 points, leaving him susceptible to a rankings drop ahead of Wimbledon. His schedule over the years didn’t help much either.

Djokovic does not play at any of the warm-up events on grass, a scheduling tactic he has used since 2018, when he last played at Queens. But the conundrum doesn’t come without hope, albeit a slight one. The Serb’s ranking might take a leap this weekend, as Fritz must defend 200 points at Eastbourne as the defending champion. Should the American lose early, Djokovic will jump back to No.7, but it amounts to little more than bragging rights.

A loss for Fritz will not change the Wimbledon seedings, with Djokovic having been announced as the seventh seed. The American will take the sixth spot. The seedings are based on rankings one week before the event, which may complicate Djokovic’s campaign. He might have to face one of the top two seeds in the quarterfinals itself.

A drop in rankings, followed by a potentially difficult draw, Djokovic has quietly endured a tough week. His eyes will be glued to the draw on Friday. Lest we forget, Djokovic’s dominance at Wimbledon is unquestionable —  seven titles and a staggering 88.6% win rate. But at 39, time is not in his favor.

Fritz, on the other hand, will also arrive with a point to prove. Having lost half of his prior Wimbledon outings, including a semi-final loss to World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz last year, he has yet to answer his critics at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz will look to have a deep run at Wimbledon

For Novak Djokovic, it is one of the best opportunities to win his 25th Major and send his pedestal to further heights in the sport. With Alcaraz being out due to a wrist injury, the Serbian has one less key contender to deal with. However, he is unlikely to evade World No.1 Jannik Sinner — who is slightly ahead in head-to-head. Given the seedings, a quarterfinal matchup between the two is on the cards. If it happens, the Serb will take inspiration from his win over the Italian at the Australian Open this year and hope his love affair with the grass continues.

Djokovic will lean on the technical aspects of grass-court tennis, including shorter points and free points off the serve. If he can get his serve rhythm going in the earlier rounds, he will be a potent threat to anybody, and not to forget that he is already one of the best movers on the surface.

On the other hand,  Fritz will be looking to get a good Slam result, a step better from his last outing at Wimbledon. The American’s style is well-suited to grass, and although he has reached a US Open final, he will feel that Wimbledon offers the best chance to win. His recent victory against Alexander Zverev, French Open winner, shows that he can rub shoulders with top-ranked players on the surface. But lest we forget, the seemingly ageless Serb presents a challenge he has yet to decode.

As for preparation, the American is the top seed at Eastbourne, awaiting one of Jan Choinski or Alexei Popyrin in the opening round. Meanwhile, Djokovic is already strutting his craft at Wimbledon, starting to prep for the event next week.