MOSCOW, October 7 (R-Sport) – Spain’s Rafael Nadal regained the top spot in the ATP men's tennis rankings on Monday for the first time in more than two years, pushing Novak Djokovic back into second place.
The rankings reshuffle happened despite 27-year-old Nadal losing the China Open final to Djokovic on Sunday.
“I am [at the top] and it’s something special for me,” Nadal said in comments carried on the ATP website. “I'm enjoying the situation. I'm playing one of the best seasons of my career and probably one of the more emotional ones, too.”
Nadal last held the No. 1 spot 27 months ago, when he lost to Serbia’s Djokovic.
The Spaniard returned to the court in February after a seven-month layoff with a knee injury and has since triumphed at 10 tournaments, including the US Open and the French Open.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Juan Martin Del Potro's victory at the Japan Open helped him climb two spots to fifth place, dropping Tomas Berdych and Federer down to sixth and seventh respectively.
Stanislas Wawrinka swapped places with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, rising to eighth.
In the women's rankings, Jelena Jankovic stormed back to the top 10, taking eighth place after reaching the final of the China Open, where she lost to Serena Williams.
Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber lost one place each, sliding to ninth and 10th, while the retired Marion Bartoli finally dropped out of top 10, sliding to 13th.
Williams retained the world No. 1 spot, with Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova second and third.
