List of tennis players who went entire season without straight-set defeat

Only two tennis players in Open Era history have managed to achieve this feat.

Irrespective of how good a player is, nobody can be flawless. Ups and downs are a part of everyone’s journey, as players learn from setbacks to become better in the future. Many times, when things are not going your way, there are two approaches to deal with them. One way is to surrender, and the other way is to fight till the end.

Top-ranked tennis players on all three platforms participate in numerous tournaments, and their first goal is to give their all on the court and win the match. However, only two players so far have not dropped a single set in an entire year.

Milestones like these are difficult to replicate, as even the best players can have an off day on court. However, these two men were in such remarkable form during their prime seasons that they rarely lost matches and always managed to win at least a set, even in defeat.

Here we revisit the extraordinary years when they showcased this near-flawless dominance.

Roger Federer (2005)

Roger Federer had an iconic 2005 season, often referred to as “Fed05”. He finished with an 81-4 record and a 95.2% win rate, winning 11 titles—the most in over two decades and matching his 2004 tally. Federer started the year strong on hard courts, winning titles in Doha, Rotterdam, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, and Cincinnati.

Notably, in Miami, he came back from two sets down to defeat Rafael Nadal in a five-set epic final. and went to complete the rare Indian Wells–Miami “Sunshine Double”.

On clay, the Swiss icon won the Hamburg Masters without dropping a set, but then fell to 18-year-old Richard Gasquet in Monte Carlo and to Nadal in the French Open semifinals. He later registered his third consecutive Wimbledon crown, defeating Andy Roddick in the final to extend his grass-court win streak to 29 matches.

Federer wrapped up his historic season by winning the US Open and finishing as year-end No. 1. Although an ankle injury forced him to skip multiple events and impacted his ATP Finals campaign (losing a tight five-set final to David Nalbandian), the year is still remembered as one of the most dominant and remarkable seasons in tennis history.

Jannik Sinner (2024)

Jannik Sinner’s 2024 season was one for the ages, firmly establishing him as the best player from the current generation. He captured two Grand Slam titles, the Australian Open and the US Open, and finished the year as the world No. 1.

The World No. 1 also won three Masters 1000 titles, the ATP Finals, and was the key architect in Italy’s successful Davis Cup title defense against the Netherlands.

His overall win-loss record of 73-6 reflected his consistency and superiority throughout the year. Out of the only six losses Sinner suffered, half of them came against arch rival Carlos Alcaraz — at Indian Wells, the French Open, and the China Open, with the Italian winning the opening set each time before eventually falling.

His other defeats were to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo (where Tsitsipas was ranked No. 12 and later won the title), Andrey Rublev in Montreal, and Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The fact that he did not lose any match in straight sets is a reminder of his determination and never-say-die attitude.

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