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We’re still in that phase of the ATP Tour journey where points dropping from 2019 editions of events not held last year are only lost at a 50 per cent rate.

So it remains a bit of a challenge to make up ground, especially at the top level.

Novak Djokovic drops 90 points, and Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal drop 180. But it doesn’t change anything in the big picture.

But Monte-Carlo finalist Andrey Rublev does drop Roger Federer a spot into No. 8, while he himself rises to a career-high No. 7.

Had Rublev been able to win it, he could have moved past Alexander Zverev as well, into the No. 5 spot.

WTA Rankings Report – April 19, 2021

Federer solid at No. 8

There are so many big tournaments coming up that while there might not be much movement overall, the gaps can and should change change.

At 5,875 points, Federer is more than 2,000 points ahead of No. 9, Diego Schwartzman. So his fantasy ranking stays firm and shoudl ensure he will get a top-eight seed at Roland Garros.

Over the weekend, Federer announced that he wouldn’t play Madrid. But he would play his home-country tournament in Geneva (a 250), and then head to Paris.

(For the complete ATP Tour rankings picture, click here)

ON THE UPSWING

Andrey Rublev (RUS): No. 8 =========> No. 7 (A career high after reaching the Monte Carlo final).

David Goffin (BEL): No. 15 =========> No. 12 (The Belgian hit a bit of a rough patch, but he’s having a much better start to 2021).

Jannik Sinner (ITA): No. 22 =========> No. 19 (The Italian’s ranking now matches his age – probably the last time for awhile that his number will be at or above his age. He’s into the top 20 for the first time)

Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN): No. 21 =========> No. 20 (The Canadian lost a tough one in the first round of Monte-Carlo. But Stan Wawrinka dropped a few points, which allowed Auger-Aliassime back into the top 20).

Cristian Garin (CHI): No. 24 =========> No. 22

Casper Ruud (NOR): No. 27 =========> No. 24 (The Norwegian hits his career, high, but pulls out of Barcelona this week after making the Monte Carlo semis).

Dan Evans (GBR): No. 33=========> No. 26 (A career high in singles after a great week in Monte Carlo. And he’s at a career high in doubles as well, at No. 56, after reaching the final with countryman Ken Skupski).

Filip Krajinovic (SRB): No. 37=========> No. 33 (The No. 5 seed at his home-country event in Belgrade this week, Krajinovic will be looking for a seed in Paris).

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP): No. 58 =========> No. 48 (The 21-year-old’s Monte Carlo ended in a retirement against Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. But he still jumps into the top 50 for the first time in his young career).

Lucas Pouille (FRA): No. 86 =========> No. 72 (A slow return from elbow surgery is finally heating up).

Alexei Popyrin (AUS): No. 83 =========> No. 79 (Another career best for the 21-year-old Aussie).

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP): No. 105 =========> No. 91 (Too late to get straight into Roland Garros, after winning the Belgrade Challenger. But he’s only a few out with that No. 105 ranking; he might squeeze in).

Liam Broady (GBR): No. 148 =========> No. 137 (The 27-year-old Brit has played a ton this season. But it’s paying off. He began the year at No. 190 and now is reaching a new career high almost every week).

Kacper Zuk (POL): No. 212 =========> No. 173 (The 22-year-old from Poland reaches a career high after winning the Split Challenger out of the qualifying).

Jenson Brooksby (USA): No. 232=========> No. 194 (The 20-year-old former junior star won the inaugural Orlando Challenger and rises into the top 200 for the first time).

*Brooksby at the 2018 US Open (left) and a year later, when he qualified and upset Tomas Berdych in the first round.*

Jack Sock (USA): No. 257 =========> No. 249 (The comeback is going … at a leisurely pace for the former top-10 American).

Christian Harrison (USA): No. 327 =========> No. 298 (The 26-year-old reached the Orlando Challenger semifinals).

ON THE DOWNSWING

Roger Federer (SUI): No. 7 =========> No. 8 (He’ll be back in a month, but that No. 8 looks pretty safe for Paris).

Fabio Fognini (ITA): No. 18 =========> No. 27 (The Italian finally loses the points from his 2019 Monte Carlo title – but only half of them – otherwise he’d have dropped down to about No. 38).

Borna Coric (CRO): No. 26 =========> No. 29 (Coric has been out of action since Rotterdam)

Dusan Lajovic (SRB): No. 31 =========> No. 37 (The 2019 Monte Carlo finalist drops half his points, which is better than almost dropping out of the top 50).

Sebastian Korda (USA): No. 62 =========> No. 66

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA): No. 70 =========> No. 78

Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND): No. 138 =========> No. 149

Jay Clarke (GBR): No. 201 =========> No. 233