How does Djokovic remain number one prior to Roland Garros ahead of Medvedev?

Novak Djokovic will want to enter the Roland Garros as the top seed because it's very beneficial to do so, but he will need to work hard to achieve that.

The Serbian is currently ranked as the best player in the world, with 8400 points to his name. However, that ranking can change depending on how he does in the upcoming week.

Djokovic is clear of Daniil Medvedev by 320 points, as the Russian's total sits at 8080 points, but he is also defending a lot of points at the upcoming Italian Open in Rome, having played in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event last year.

Medvedev does not defend many points in those events, and he won't play them either because of surgery. In order to stay ahead of the Russian after the Madrid Open that starts next week Djokovic simply needs to win one match at the event.

He doesn't need anything else, and it seems simple enough, so it's widely expected that he will still travel to Rome as the number one in the ATP Rankings. But it can get a bit more complicated after that.

Because the Serbian played in the final of the Italian Open last year, he will need to win the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome if he loses in the third round of the Madrid Open.

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If he only reaches the semi-final in Rome he will need a semifinal in Madrid as well to stay number one, but all will, of course, depend on how his tournament in the Spanish capital goes.

It's a bit of complicated math, but overall, Djokovic needs a solid outing in both events, especially in the Italian capital, where the majority of his points come from.

He's quite comfortable there, so it's widely expected that he will be ready to compete at the event despite some health concerns after his Serbian Open final against Andrey Rublev.

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