Who is only tennis player to hold World No. 1 ranking in three different decades?

The only player to have reached this amazing feat is Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal.

Since the start of the Open Era, tennis stars have risen to the top of the rankings and won prestigious awards, achieving milestones that seemed impossible. From Bjorn Borg’s Channel Slams to Pete Sampras’s 14 Grand Slam titles, the players have solidified their place in history as all-time greats.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic holds the record for spending the most weeks as the ATP World No. 1 (428). The second on the list is Swiss maestro Roger Federer (310), followed by Pete Sampras (286), Ivan Lendl (270), and Jimmy Connors (268) in the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.

The Serbian tennis icon has also won 24 men’s singles Grand Slam titles, the most by any player in the Open Era history. His skill and dominance in men’s singles events have led to him being regarded as statistically the best player in the history of the sport.

However, he was ranked World No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time on July 4, 2011, after he won his maiden Wimbledon title.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer, who topped the rankings for more than four consecutive years between February 2004 and August 2008, has failed to reach the top rank in 2020. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was dethroned from the top spot in the rankings by his arch-rival and friend, Rafael Nadal.

The only player in history to hold the World No. 1 rank in different decades is Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal. He climbed up to the top rank for the first time in 2008; since then, he has spent 209 weeks on the pinnacle. Rafael Nadal has also been the year-end No. 1 five times (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019).

Additionally, Nadal is also the only player to win three or more Grand Slam titles in three different decades. He won six Major titles in the 2000s, 13 in the 2010s, and three between 2020 and 2024 before retiring. It is safe to say that the former Spanish tennis star’s record is secure at least until the 2030s.

Despite suffering from major injuries throughout his career, the Spanish tennis icon has showcased astounding longevity at the sport’s top level.

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