Top five players with longest reign as first-time ATP World No 1

Roger Federer spent 237 weeks as World No 1 during his initial run. 

Reaching the ATP World No 1 ranking is an aspiration for many players. Getting there is proof of a player’s talent and match-winning abilities, but staying there requires consistency. The long stay at the top of the table shows how much resilience is required to stay on top, with other players competing for the top spot.

Here are the five tennis players who have worked towards cementing their legacy in the sport they love, backed by significant opening stints at the much-coveted position of World No 1. 

6. Rafael Nadal – 46 weeks

Rafael Nadal spent 209 weeks as World No 1, and 46 of those were during his first stint at the top. He first reached the No. 1 spot in August 2008, and Federer ended Nadal’s 46-week reign at the top. Nadal reclaimed the No. 1 ranking after the 2010 French Open for his longest run of 56 weeks. 

A testament to Nadal’s longevity and resilience is the fact that between 2005 and 2023, he was ranked in the top ten for 912 weeks. Nadal also finished as year-end No. 1 five times, a record he shares with Roger Federer.

The Spaniard has registered a record 23 wins over World No 1 players. All the wins came against Roger Federer (13) and Novak Djokovic (10).   

5. Novak Djokovic – 53 weeks

Novak Djokovic’s opening stint of 53 weeks as World No 1 leaves him fifth on this list. The Serb will remain at No. 1 for 122 consecutive weeks. His 428 weeks in the top spot is a tour record, along with his eight-year-end No. 1s.

Despite the significant number of matches Djokovic played as No. 1, he maintained an impressive 485-78 (86.1%) when he occupied the top position. He became the oldest ATP No. 1 in April 2024 at 36 years and 321 days following his semi-final run at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Also Read: Top five tennis players with most weeks at World No.1 in history

4. Jannik Sinner – 54 weeks

Jannik Sinner claimed the top spot in June 2024 to become the first Italian No. #1 after the 2024 French Open when he took over from Novak Djokovic. 

As the ATP World No. #1, Sinner successfully defended his title at Melbourne Park and also won his maiden US Open title. The Italian also sealed the Cincinnati Masters, when he was making a return to professional tennis after missing the Paris Games.

Notably, he missed three months of action due to a suspension at the hands of WADA, yet he managed to keep his pole position intact, highlighting his dominance in the recent years.

Also Read: Top five players with fewest matches to reach 50 wins at ATP World No. 1

3. Lleyton Hewitt – 75 weeks

Hewitt was only one of two Australians to rise to the World No 1 ranking. Although Pat Rafter was the first Australian to be ranked ATP No. 1 before Hewitt, he only stayed there for a week and did not record a win while in the position.

Lleyton Hewitt ascended to the top spot when he defeated Rafter en route to lifting the trophy at the 2001 ATP Finals. This was the start of the then-20-year-old’s 75-week tenure as World No 1, out of 80 weeks.

The Adelaide native entered the record books as the youngest World No. 1 at the time. Carlos Alcaraz broke the record when he won the 2022 US Open at 19.

2. Jimmy Connors – 160 weeks

Jimmy Connors was the third ATP World No 1 since rankings were first recorded in August 1973 behind Ilie Nastase and John Newcombe. The American replaced Newcombe when he rose to the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings at 21 in July 1974.

It was the year Connors won 15 tour-level titles including Wimbledon, following which he took over the top spot. Connors’ reign at the top stretched to a total of 268 weeks and saw him finish on five occasions as year-end No. 1. His 160 weeks as No. 1 lasted between 29 July 1974 and 23 August 1977, when he was replaced by Bjorn Borg.

1. Roger Federer – 237 weeks

Even though Novak Djokovic (428) eventually went past Roger Federer (310) for most outright weeks at No. 1, the Swiss player’s 237-week uninterrupted opening run at the top spot is a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon. When No. 1, Federer, amassed a 430-56 for a winning percentage of 88.5%.

Federer recorded five year-end finishes in the coveted position. A special achievement of this legend’s career is that he is the only person to have won more than 100 matches in two different Grand Slams. The former player set the records at the Australian Open (102-15) and Wimbledon (105-14).  

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