Novak Djokovic has been around No. 1 ranking for the last 30 years, but Daniil Medvedev's feat will never be forgotten: Paul Annacone

Novak Djokovic is all set to resume his reign as World No. 1 on Monday, following Daniil Medvedev's premature exit at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters. After trading spots with the Russian for a period of just three weeks, the Serb will begin a record 362nd week atop the ATP rankings.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Paul Annacone jokingly remarked that it felt like the 20-time Grand Slam champion had been World No. 1 for "the last 30 years in a row," indirectly praising his incredible consistency over the years.

"Novak Djokovic seems to be around that No. 1 ranking for about the last 30 years in a row," Annacone said. "[It is going to be] the old see-saw battle between him and Daniil Medvedev."

Annacone was also impressed with Medvedev, declaring that the achievement could never be taken away from him. The 58-year-old went on to add that he expected the Russian to find his way back to the No. 1 spot sooner rather than later.

The American revealed that he felt sorry for Medvedev for having to play at Indian Wells during such a crucial phase in his career, noting that the conditions in the California desert did not suit players who hit the ball flat.

"You can never take that away from Medvedev, I think he's going to get back there and get comfortable being there [in the future]," Annacone said. "I think he was not comfortable playing here in Indian Wells, it's tough conditions here for people that hit the ball really flat."

The former World No. 12 postulated that the ball traveled unusually farther because of the arid conditions in the desert, which could have caused trouble for the 26-year-old. All that reasoning notwithstanding, he still gave Gael Monfils due credit for disposing of the Russian with impeccable efficiency in their third-round clash earlier this week.

"Lindsay [Davenport] hit the ball really flat and I asked her yesterday and she [said she] loved playing here. I think because of the air, the ball flies further. Clearly, Medvedev was unsettled [because of that] and Gael [Monfils] took care of him," Annacone said.

Annacone's co-commentator, Chanda Rubin, echoed the same sentiment. Rubin refused to downplay the magnitude of Medvedev's achievement, but remarked that it was "nice" to see Djokovic back where he belonged.

The former World No. 6 was of the opinion that, although Medvedev could not hold on to the top spot for long, he fully deserved to be the No. 1 for the results he has managed to produce of late.

Rubin said she hoped the Russian would take heart from the fact that he will always be remembered as a World No. 1, irrespective of how short his stint at the top was.

"You think about how well Daniil Medvedev played to get to World No.1, he's certainly deserved it [though] he couldn't quite hold that spot. That will always be on his resume," Rubin said. "But it's nice to see Novak Djokovic back atop the rankings."

Novak Djokovic to return to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic will return to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic has played only one tournament so far in 2022, the Dubai Tennis Championships, where he fell in the quarterfinals to Jiri Vesely. Having announced his withdrawal from the Sunshine Double due to existing vaccine mandate in the United States, the Serb is slated to return to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion would be ranked either World No. 1 or World No. 2 at that point, depending on what Daniil Medvedev achieves at the Miami Masters.

If the Russian reaches the semifinals, he will take back the top spot. If he does not, Djokovic is guaranteed to begin the tournament in Monte-Carlo, where he is a two-time champion, as the top-ranked player.

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Also Check Out: Indian Wells Masters 2022 Results