Top five men's singles players with most consecutive weeks as ATP World No. 1

Roger Federer’s 237 consecutive weeks as ATP World No. 1 is one of the toughest records to beat.

Topping the ranking charts during a highly competitive era of tennis underscores the greatness and consistency of players across surfaces.

However, Rafael Nadal‘s name is missing from this list, mainly because the Spaniard failed to conquer the remaining three Grand Slam majors, like the way he performed at Roland Garros. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five men’s singles players with the most consecutive weeks as ATP World No. 1.

5. Pete Sampras – 102

Pete Sampras’s longest uninterrupted reign at World No. 1 lasted 102 weeks, from April 1996 to March 1998. During this stretch, Sampras won five Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon in 1997, the US Open in 1996 and 1997, and the Australian Open in 1997. The seven-time Wimbledon champion also won ATP Masters titles, including Cincinnati and Paris, and was the year-end No. 1 in both 1996 and 1997.

4. Novak Djokovic – 122

Novak Djokovic’s longest spell at No. 1 ran for 122 weeks, from July 2014 to November 2016. During this period, Djokovic won six Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon (2014, 2015), the Australian Open (2015, 2016), the US Open (2015), and the French Open (2016), completing a career Grand Slam and holding all four major titles simultaneously.

The Serbian also claimed numerous Masters 1000 trophies and set the record for most ranking points in ATP history during this reign.

3. Ivan Lendl – 157

Ivan Lendl’s reign of 157 consecutive weeks as ATP World No. 1, from September 1985 to September 1988, was marked by his dominance at the biggest events. During this period, Lendl won five Grand Slam titles: the US Open (1985, 1986, 1987) and the French Open (1986, 1987).

He also captured multiple ATP year-end championships, including the Masters Grand Prix (now ATP Finals) in 1986 and 1987, and won several major ATP events, such as the Canadian Open and Italian Open.

2. Jimmy Connors – 160

Jimmy Connors held the No. 1 ranking for 160 consecutive weeks from July 1974 to August 1977, a period in which he was the sport’s dominant force. The American won three Grand Slam singles titles during this streak, including the US Open in 1974 and 1976, and Wimbledon and Australian Open in 1974.

Beyond the Slams, Connors won the year-end Masters Grand Prix in 1977 and two World Championship Tennis (WCT) Finals in 1977 and 1980.

1. Roger Federer – 237

There are very few records that seem unbeatable. But Roger Federer’s record-setting streak of 237 consecutive weeks as ATP World No. 1, from February 2004 to August 2008, remains unmatched in tennis history.

During this era, the Swiss icon notched up 10 Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), the US Open (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), the Australian Open (2004, 2006, 2007), along with three ATP Finals crowns and 13 Masters 1000 titles.

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