Paris (AFP)

Tennis legend Roger Federer slipped out of the World Top 10 for the first time in nearly five years in the ATP ranking released Monday after the Indian Wells tournament, won by Cameron Norrie, who jumped 11 places (15th).

The absence of the Swiss at Indian Wells cost him 480 points, which, combined in particular with the journey in California (eliminated in the quarter-finals) of the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, now 10th in the world, took him from 9th to 11th place in the ATP ranking.

He is now also ahead of the Norwegian Casper Ruud, 9th in the world.

The Swiss champion, after an almost white year 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and two right knee operations, had made his return to competition in the spring.

But after 13 matches played, including a quarter-final at Wimbledon, he ended his season after his trip to London, due to a recurrence of his pain in his right knee.

This prolonged absence from the courts has slowly dragged him down to the world rankings, where he was still in 5th place at the start of the year.

Federer, who celebrated his 40th birthday this summer, entered the Top 10 on May 20, 2002. He had only left it for a few weeks between July and October 2002 and from November 2016 to January 2017 when he had stopped his 2016 season. from July, already to treat a knee.

The Swiss, winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments, still has no plans, despite his age and knee problems, to end his career

Apart from the entry of Hurkacz and the gain of a rank from Ruud, the only other movement in the World Top 10, still dominated by Novak Djokovic ahead of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, concerns Rafael Nadal: the Spaniard grabs a rank and becomes 5th, ahead of Russian Andrey Rublev, who slipped to 6th place.

Lower in the standings, Briton Cameron Norrie, winner of Indian Wells against Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, entered the Top 20, in 15th place, with a gain of 11 places.

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 11430 pts

2. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 9630

3. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 7995

4. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6930

5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5635 (+1)

6. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 5560 (-1)

7. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 4858

8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3815

9. Casper Ruud (NOR) 3615 (+1)

10. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3378 (+2)

11. Roger Federer (SUI) 3285 (-2)

12. Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 3263 (-1)

13. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2970 (+2)

14. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2903 (-1)

15. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 2895 (+11)

16. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 2895 (-2)

17. Christian Garín (CHI) 2510

18. Pablo Carreño (ESP) 2445 (-2)

19. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2383 (-1)

20. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2270 (-1)

© 2021 AFP