The Fifth Tennis Power Ranking for 2016

He is the man

1. Novak Djokovic – Novak bounced back from his loss at Monte Carlo with a strong showing in Madrid.  He lost only one set en route to his record 29th Masters 1000 Shield.
2. Rafael Nadal – Rafa did lose to Andy Murray so staying second may seem odd. However, his wins in Monte Carlo and Barcelona place him ahead of Murray in terms of recent results.    
3. Andy Murray –Andy beat Rafa in Madrid and set right a loss in Monte Carlo that could have been a win for him.  Splitting with his coach this close to a major seems a bit odd, but maybe he is hoping to give his new coach time to have a plan in place for Wimbledon.  Change since last ranking +1
4. Kei Nishikori – Kei was runner-up at Barcelona and was a semifinalist in Madrid.  He is clearly one of the 5 men most likely to win in Paris even if those odds drop sharply once one gets beyond Novak and Rafa.  Change since last ranking +1
5. Dominic Thiem – Thiem hasn’t really done anything wrong despite a tired early loss in Madrid.  Nishikori and Murray have just leapfrogged him.  Change since last ranking – 2
6. Milos Raonic – Milos played well enough in Madrid, but he barely made a dent in Novak Djokovic.  That is problem many players have experienced, but until he can even threaten Novak climbing higher seems difficult.
7. Nick Kyrgios – This surface is not ideal for Kyrgios, but his talent makes him impossible to ignore.  Change since last ranking + 2 
8. Gael Monfils – Gael should not be ignored based on his very solid 2016 results.  Change since last ranking +1
9. Roger Federer – Roger is hanging around based upon his strong play in Melbourne and Brisbane and his reasonable play at Monte Carlo.  I am sure Roger will welcome a return to Halle’s grass courts regardless of what happens in Rome and Paris.  Change since last ranking – 1
10. Tomas Berdych – The big Czech has been somewhere near the space he currently occupies on tour for a decade.  He may not win the big prize, but he wins often enough to be in this top 10.  Change since last ranking – Not ranked

Biggest Movers – Dominic Thiem -2 and Nick Kyrgios +2

Entered the Poll – Tomas Berdych

Dropped out of the Poll – David Goffin