Tennis
Power Rankings: Nadal starts at No. 1
Tennis

Power Rankings: Nadal starts at No. 1

Published Apr. 10, 2009 10:45 p.m. ET

























































































































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Men's tennis power rankings

Welcome to the first edition of our men's tennis Power Rankings. Every other week, we'll give you our list of the 10 best players of the moment.



How does it work? While the official ATP rankings take the entire previous year into account, our rankings deal only with the last four events in which each player as participated. This is designed to create a better estimate of who is hot now by putting the emphasis on recent action.

We'll also have women's Power Rankings, starting next week and continuing every other week. That means you'll find a new Power Rankings list each and every week here on FOXSports.com. So come on in, check out what our writers think and then sound off below.

Rankings account for events completed prior to April 8.
Rank Player +/- ATP Fan Last four Comment
1 Rafael
Nadal
1 1 Key Biscayne: QF
Indian Wells: W
Rotterdam: F
Australian Open: W
Rafael NadalHis loss in Key Biscayne shows that he's not winning week in and week out the way Federer was in 2005-06. Still, he's taken two of the big three hard-court prizes so far this year.
2 Andy
Murray
4 3 Key Biscayne: W
Indian Wells: F
Dubai: QF
Rotterdam: W
Andy MurrayNo one aside from Nadal is putting forth results as consistently stellar as the Scot. Fans and pundits are abuzz, wondering when he'll break through in a major.
3 Novak Djokovic 3 4 Key Biscayne: F
Indian Wells: QF
Dubai: W
Marseille: SF
Novak DjokovicMiami was a step in the right direction for the Serb. Still, the gap between No. 2 and No. 3 on this list is huge, and Djokovic no longer resembles the confident player of last year.
4 Roger Federer 2 2 Key Biscayne: SF
Indian Wells: SF
Australian Open: F
Doha: SF
Roger FedererInvincible against anyone not in the top four, the Swiss has not won a sanctioned tour event since October, and is 0-4 against Nadal, Murray, and Djokovic in '09.
5 Andy
Roddick
6 5 Key Biscayne: QF
Indian Wells: SF
Memphis: W
San Jose: SF
Andy RoddickRoddick can consider one title and a pair of close losses to Nadal and Federer a strong start. New coach Larry Stefanki has Roddick competing harder than he has in years.
6 Juan Martin del Potro 5 6 Key Biscayne: SF
Indian Wells: QF
Memphis: QF
San Jose: QF
Juan Martin del PotroIn beating Nadal in Miami, he scored his best-ever win and moved up to a career-high No. 5. But his loss to Murray shows del Potro is not yet ready to win a major.
7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 11 7 Key Biscayne: QF
Indian Wells: R32
Marseille: W
Rotterdam: QF
Jo-Wilfried TsongaBy winning two titles in '09, and consistently reaching the latter rounds of events, last year's Australian Open runner-up seems out to prove that he's not going away.
8 Fernando Verdasco 8 8 Key Biscayne: QF
Indian Wells: QF
Australian Open: SF
Brisbane: F
Fernando VerdascoIt's taken the biggest guns the game has to knock Verdasco out of the big events. The next step for him will be to prove that he can beat a top five player who isn't sick.
9 Gilles Simon 7 10 Key Biscayne: R16
Indian Wells: R32
Dubai: SF
Marseille: SF
Gilles SimonThe expected breakthrough season for the Frenchman has thus far not come to pass. Positive signs ahead — he won clay events in Casablanca and Bucharest last year.
10 Gael
Monfils
10 N/A Key Biscayne: R16
Indian Wells: R64
Acapulco: F
Marseille: R32
Gael MonfilsBelieve it or not, for Monfils, results such as these represent consistency (relatively defined). At least now it seems newsworthy when he loses.
Outside looking in Fan Top 10
David Ferrer
Last four — Key Biscayne: R16; Indian Wells: R16; Dubai: F; Rotterdam: R16
These days he's still hanging around, but not getting as far as he once did.


Radek Stepanek
Last four — Key Biscayne: R16; Indian Wells: R64; Memphis: F; San Jose: W
The most unconventional player in the top 20 (currently No. 19) had some good results indoors, and is no slouch on clay.
1. Rafael Nadal — 9,120 points

2. Roger Federer — 6,397

3. Andy Murray — 5,440

4. Novak Djokovic — 2,915

5. Andy Roddick — 1,808

6. Juan Martin del Potro — 760

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — 177

8. Fernando Verdasco — 153

9. Nikolay Davydenko — 152

10. Gilles Simon — 62

Fan voting explanation
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