Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton have joined Martin Broughton's bid to buy Chelsea. Their offer is one of three being considered by Roman Abramovich, club executives and the US bank Raine, which is overseeing the sale.
Williams, the winner of 23 tennis grand slam singles titles, and Hamilton, a seven-times Formula One world champion, have pledged what are understood to be small sums of money relative to a bid of more than £200m.
The former owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich. (Image- The Mirror)
Broughton's partners also include the World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe, and the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Harris and Blitzer also have stakes in Crystal Palace and they will need to sell those to become shareholders at Chelsea.
"We can confirm Lewis has joined Sir Martin Broughton's bid," a spokesperson for Hamilton said. It is understood the Mercedes driver, who is an Arsenal fan, hopes that, among other things, he could have a positive effect on diversity and inclusion at Chelsea and in the club's local community.Williams is an investor in Los Angeles' Angel City FC, who play in the National Women's Soccer League.
The other two consortiums who made final offers for Chelsea this month are led respectively by the LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and the Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca.
Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton are interesting pair of minds getting into the football business as Chelsea looks like a very lucrative investment for everyone involved. We just have to wait few more days before the fog clears on the new owners of Chelsea FC.
The tournament has gone on to witness several players crowned as champions. They have had proved both mental strength and physical prowess. Let's have a look the male and female singles tennis players with most US Open titles.
The US Open is one of the most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments in a tennis calendar year. A title at the Flushing Meadows is a matter of pride for any tennis player. Since the dawn of the Open Era in 1968, the US Open has stood as one of the toughest battlegrounds in tennis. It has been played on hard courts since 1978, making it a true test of speed, stamina, and shot-making. The US Open is not only a highlight of the tennis calendar but also one of the most-watched sporting events in the world.
The tournament has gone on to witness several players crowned as champions. They have had proved both mental strength and physical prowess.
Let's have a look the male and female singles tennis players with most US Open titles.
Martina Navratilova, famous for her attacking game and net play. She was a complete player who could adapt to different conditions and was a fierce rival to Chris Evert. Navratilova’s rivalry with Evert remains one of the greatest in tennis history.
Navratilova won four of the eight finals she featured in at the US Open from 1981 to 1991. To secure her titles, the Czech-American great beat Chris Evert in 1983 and 1984, Helena Sukova in 1986 and Steffi Graf in 1987.
9. Novak Djokovic | 4
Similar to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic was also a part of the famous “Big Three,” which collectively dominated men’s tennis for nearly two decades. Djokovic won his first US Open in 2011, defeating Rafael Nadal. He followed this with victories in 2015, 2018, and 2023.
His 24 Grand Slam titles are the most in history, and when combined with the Australian Open, Djokovic has a record 14 major championship titles on the hard court.
8. Rafael Nadal | 4
Rafael Nadal is often regarded as one of the most decorated professional tennis players in the sport’s history. He holds a place alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the famous “Big Three”.
While he is best known for his phenomenal achievements on the clay at Roland-Garros, the Spaniard has four championships in the United States and a fantastic 4-1 record in the final. Nadal’s first US Open victory came in 2010, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. His incredible physicality and relentless style of play have served him well at Flushing Meadows, leading to further victories in 2013, 2017, and 2019.
7. John McEnroe | 4
John McEnroe is another of the great American players who thrived at his home major along with Sampras and Connors. Like Nadal, he made five US Open finals and won four of them.
He dominated his home turf, winning four titles during the early 1980s. His four finals produced wins against Vitas Gerulaitis, fierce rival Björn Borg (twice) and Ivan Lendl, before Lendl turned the tables on him in 1985.
6. Roger Federer | 5
Roger Federer not only won the US Open five times, but he achieved this feat in five consecutive years. Between 2004 and 2008, Federer won five successive US Open singles titles, a feat unmatched by any player in the Open Era at the tournament.
From 2003 to 2007, he also won the Wimbledon title five times on-the-trot, a record only matched by Bjorn Borg. No other tennis player has won two separate Grand Slams five times in-a-row.
Pete Sampras was known for his serve, often considered the greatest in the history of tennis. He won US Open five times (1990, 1993, 1995-96, 2002). In a fairytale ending, Sampras’ 2002 US Open victory was the final match of his 15-year career. Sampras’ thunderous serve and fearless net play made him nearly unstoppable in New York.
4. Steffi Graf | 5
Steffi Graf prevailed in five of the eight title matches she contested at the US Open between 1987 and 1996. For her championship match victories, the German icon overcame Gabriela Sabatini in 1988, Navratilova in 1989, Sukova in 1993, and Monica Seles in 1995 and 1996.
3. Jimmy Connors | 5
The fierce Jimmy Connors won eight major singles championships, which included a joint-record five US Opens. His five US Open titles were won across three different surfaces: grass, clay, and hard courts. He finished as the year-end No.1 five times in his career.
2. Serena Williams | 6
Serena Williams claimed six titles from the nine finals she reached at her home Grand Slam across a 20-year period from 1999 to 2019. In her successful title matches, Williams downed Martina Hingis in 1999, Venus Williams in 2002, Jelena Jankovic in 2008, Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013, and Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.
Evert was the first woman to win more than three US Open titles in the Open Era. She won six of the nine championship matches she competed in between 1975 and 1984. For her wins in finals, Evert defeated Goolagong in 1975 and 1976, Wendy Turnbull in 1977, Pam Shriver in 1978 and Hana Mandlikova in 1980 and 1982.
The American legend is the only woman to win the US Open on different surfaces: green clay (1975-1977) and hard courts (1978, 1980 and 1982).
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of West Ham United vs Chelsea in the Premier League 2025/26 season!
We’ll be bringing you all the action, scores, real-time updates, team news, and free commentary as these two London rivals face off at the London Stadium.
Chelsea have started the season with a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace. Meantime West Ham United faced a 3-0 defeat against Sunderland.
So this sets up to be a great London derby clash. This is Barnali Debnath who will bring you all the updates of the match from web desk. Stay tuned and enjoyed the coverage.
LIVE Updates
Aug 22, 2025, 7:01 PM
FINAL Score
Aug 22, 2025, 8:58 PM
Full time | WHU 1-5 CHE
DOMINATING AND HOW!
Chelsea are back at their best and with the amount of talent they have in their squad, the scoreline is quite accurate.
Five goal scorers for Enzo Maresca's side. But what about Graham Potter? Only time will tell.
⌛Full-time | West Ham United 1- 5 Chelsea
Absolute thrashing from Chelsea as they beat their fellow London counterpart by 5-1 at London Stadium.
Starting XI: M. Hermansen, J-C. Todibo, M. Kilman, N. Aguerd, A. Wan-Bissaka, J. Ward-Prowse, T. Souček, E. H. M. Diouf, L. Paquetá, J. Bowen (c), N. Füllkrug
Subs: Alphonse Aréola, Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Guido Rodríguez, Oliver Scarles, Freddie Potts, Andy Irving, Callum Wilson, Callum Marshall
Aug 22, 2025, 4:14 PM
West Ham vs Chelsea: H2H Stats
Matches: 124
Chelsea: 57
West Ham: 44
Draw: 23
Aug 22, 2025, 4:12 PM
How to watch the match?
Football fans from India can watch the West Ham vs Chelsea FC match LIVE on JioHotstar app and website.
The match will also be televised on Star Sports Channels in India.
Whenever a new transfer window arrives, with more money coming into the game, we see more spending and expensive buys from clubs around the world. However, along with experienced and proven footballers, football clubs always tend to buy new, exciting teenage footballers, even before they become stars.
Today, in this article, we will list the 20 most expensive teenagers in football transfer history.
20 Most expensive teenagers in football transfer history
Please note that the fee is based on Transfermarkt's data and is accurate as of August 7, 2025.
20. Javier Saviola – River Plate to FC Barcelona – 2001 – €35.90m (Age 19)
Image | FC Barcelona
Javier Saviola's transfer to FC Barcelona from River Plate was the record fee for any teenager till it was later broken by Wayne Rooney. After scoring 24 goals in 41 matches, besides his 11 assists for River Plate, while winning the Argentine league in consecutive years, Saviola became the star FC Barcelona were looking for.
However, the transfer did not work that well for both him and the club as he was loaned out many times and went to play for Real Madrid in future as well.Saviola was recently the assistant manager of the Barcelona U19 team as well.
19. Josko Gvardiol – Dinamo Zagreb to RB Leipzig – 2021 – €36.8m (Age 19)
Image | transfermarkt.com
A Croatian defensive prodigy, Gvardiol impressed with his versatility and speed by playing as a ball-playing centre-back and left-back. His performances for Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia’s national team stirred RB Leipzig to break their transfer record.
Along with skill, Josko Gvardiol's physical strength and tactical intelligence made Leipzig pay €36.8m for the defender in 2021.
Two years later, Leipzig sold Gavrdiol to Manchester City for a whopping €90.00m.
18. Wayne Rooney – Everton to Manchester United – 2004 – €37m (Age 18)
Rooney with the fan who wanted United to buy him. Image | manchesterunited.com
One of England’sgreatest ever talents, Rooney was signed for a then-record fee for a teenager. His all-around attacking prowess, vision, and finishing skill justified the huge investment.
In the 2003/04 season for Everton, Rooney had already scored nine goals in the Premier League as a teenager, which made Sir Alex Ferguson sign the youngster for a record €37m.
Rooney became Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals in 559 official games, winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy.
17. Luke Shaw – Southampton to Manchester United – 2014/15 – €37.5m (Age 18)
Image | MUFC on X
A highly rated left-back, Shaw was signed for his blend of strong defensive skills and speed. He was seen as the next big defender from England after John Terry, as he had done quite well at Southampton and England U-21s then.
Luke Shaw was bought by Manchester United in 2014 with a transfer fee of €37.5 million, making him one of the most expensive teenage footballers ever.
Despite serious injury setbacks, he has developed into a dependable member of United’s backline since then and continues to be a member of Ruben Amorim's team.
16. Yankuba Minteh – Newcastle United to Brighton – 2024 – €38.8m (Age 19)
Image | Brighton
A direct, pacey Gambian forward, Yankuba Minteh, earned his big move as Brighton always invests in young, aggressive talents to shape their Premier League competitiveness and future development.
Newcastle United were the first to sign him, but sent him on loan to Feyenoord, where he scored 11 goals and had five assists. Brighton then signed him permanently in the 2024/25 season, for €38.8m, making him one of the most expensive teenagers in football transfer history.
Last season, he had 12 goal contributions for Brighton in the Premier League.
Dejan after signing for Juventus. Image | Juventus
Dejan Kulusevski, the Swedish winger, scored 10 goals and assisted 9 times in Serie A in the 2019-20 season, leading Juventus to pay a premium to have him in the Winter transfer window.
Although he was brought to Turin with a €39m transfer fee from Atalanta BC, he was soon loaned out to Parma and Tottenham Hotspur. In 2023, he was eventually bought by Spurs with a transfer fee of €30.00 million.
14. Fabio Silva – Porto to Wolves – 2020/21 – €40m (Age 18)
Image | Wolves
Portuguese striker Fabio Silva came with impressive youth goal-scoring records for FC Porto U19 and the FC Porto team from the 2018-2020 season. Seeing his talent, Wolves paid a significant fee of €40m, hoping that his technical finishing and physicality would translate well into Premier League success.
However, he was soon loaned to various clubs. Last season, he joined the team after spending a season at UD Las Palmas on loan.
13. Vitor Roque – Athletico Paranaense to FC Barcelona – 2024 – €40m (Age 19)
Image | FC Barcelona
Barcelona acquired Roque to bolster their attack during a rebuilding phase. Known for his goal instinct, technical skill, and agile movement, Roque had scored 21 goals in 45 games for the Brazilian club Paranaense to attract a €40m bid from the Catalan club.
However, after only 2 goals in 16 games for the Spanish, he was sent back on loan to Real Betis and eventually signed for Palmeiras last season.
12. Archie Gray – Leeds United to Tottenham Hotspur – 2024 – €41.25m (Age 19)
Image | Spurs News
A promising English defensive midfielder, Archie Gray, made a high-profile resume after winning the U21 Euros and doing well for Leeds United.
This helped Tottenham sign him for €41.25m in 2024 as they continued to focus on developing young home-grown talent.
Archie played 28 Premier League and 11 Europa League games for Spurs in his first season at the club.
11. Jorrel Hato – Ajax to Chelsea – 2025 – €44.18m (Age 19)
Image | Chelsea FC
Dutch defender Jorrel Hato, who came through Ajax’s ranks, secured a big move to Chelsea. With Enzo Maresca and Chelsea’s long-term strategic vision for rebuilding their defence, Hato was supposed to be the next big thing for the Blues.
The left-back has a knack for scoring and contributing to goals as well. He had eight goal contributions in the 2024/25 Eredivisie for Ajax.
10. Franco Mastantuono – River Plate to Real Madrid - 2025 - €45m (Age 18)
Image | Fabrizio Romano/X
With a €45 million coming on 14th August 2025, Argentine U21 star Franco Mastantuono is all set to be the most expensive teenager in the football transfer window of the 2025/26 season.
The right-winger had a successful 2024/25 season with River Plate, scoring seven times in 22 games along with four assists, which led him to make his senior debut for Argentina as well.
9. Vinicius Jr. – Flamengo to Real Madrid – 2018 – €45m (Age 18)
Image | Real Madrid on X
Real Madrid and Brazilian youngsters have always been a love affair made in heaven. After scoring 10 goals and assisting four times in 32 goals for Flamengo in the 2017-18 season, Vinicius Jr.’s electrifying pace, dribbling, and flair made him a valued acquisition for Real Madrid.
Vinicius was brought to Real Madrid for €45m, which made him one of the most expensive teenagers in world football of the last decade.
Despite a slow start, he developed into a key player, helping Madrid win three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.
8. Rodrygo – Santos to Real Madrid – 2019 – €45m (Age 18)
Image | Real Madrid on X
As I was saying, Real Madrid and Brazilian teenage stars stand in a love affair made in heaven.
Following Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo was signed to strengthen Real Madrid’s attack with a versatile winger capable of playing across the frontline. Rodrygo had already done well for Santos in the previous season, which caught the eyes of Los Blancos, and soon he was signed for €45m
Since then, he has won three La Liga titles and two Champions League titles with the club, while scoring 68 crucial goals and providing 51 assists.
7. Endrick – Palmeiras to Real Madrid – 2024 – €47.5m (Age 18)
Image | Real Madrid on X
Now it would be boring for you if I repeated the same thing. Butwhat can I do if we have three back-to-back, same transfer patterns on our list of the most expensive teenagers in football transfer history?
Hailed as one of Brazil’s brightest prospects, Endrick’s prolific youth scoring and sharp finishing caught the eye of Real Madrid.
Endrick was brought to Bernabeu by Carlo Ancelotti after he helped Palmeiras win the Brazilian league in successive previous seasons.
6. Anthony Martial – Monaco to Manchester United – 2015 – €60m (Age 19)
🗓️ On this day in 2015...
Anthony Martial introduced himself to Old Trafford with THAT goal against Liverpool on his #MUFC debut 🥲🫶pic.twitter.com/2pbOF0B6F3
Martial’s dazzling speed, dribbling, and flair from France made Manchester United break their teenage transfer record. After a great season with AS Monaco, where he scored 12 goals and provided five assists, United broke every record to bring him to Old Trafford.
He had an immediate impact with 17 Premier League goals in his debut season, though injuries and form fluctuations have tempered his career since.
5. Leny Yoro – Lille to Manchester United – 2024 – €62m (Age 18)
Image | Fabrizio Romano on X
Manchester United invested heavily in Leny Yoro’s defensive attributes, physicality, and maturity beyond his years.Yoro was signed by United under Erik ten Hag for €62m, a record transfer fee for a teenage defender.
He still continues to be one of the pillars of the United defence under new boss Ruben Amorim.
4. Romeo Lavia – Southampton to Chelsea – 2023 – €62.1m (Age 19)
Image | Chelsea FC
Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia’s combination of technical skill, tactical intelligence, and defensive contributions enticed Chelsea to pay a club-record fee of €62.1m for a teenager.
Lavia was first discovered by Manchester City, where he flourished for the Manchester City U-21 and U-23 teams. Then, he did well for Southampton to be able to attract a large bid from Chelsea.
3. Matthijs de Ligt – Ajax to Juventus – 2019 – €85.5m (Age 19)
Image | Ajax
Matthijs De Ligt captained a young Ajax side to the 2018/19 Champions League semifinals and even scored a decisive goal for them in the quarter-finals. Juventus rewarded him with one of the highest fees ever for a teenage defender when he was bought for a record fee for a teenage defender, €85.5m.
After spending seasons with Juventus and FC Bayern Munich, the defender signed for Manchester United in 2024, under former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
2. Joao Felix – Benfica to Atletico Madrid – 2019 – €127.2m (Age 19)
Image | X
Touted as a generational talent, Joao Felix was signed as a creative attacking replacement for Antoine Griezmann by Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a club record €127.2 million.
Felix had scored 20 goals in 43 games for Benfica, along with 11 assists, before joining the Spanish club. However, he could not justify the price tag and soon found himself playing for different clubs.
At 25, he has now signed for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr FC.
In the 2016/17 season, Mbappe scored 28 goals and had 14 assists in 46 games for Monaco, which had set him up as one of the greatest footballing talents on earth. Among those 28 goals, 6 were in the Champions League in just 9 games.
Monaco have agreed to loan Kylian Mbappe to PSG with an option to sign him for €180m next summer. Medical tomorrow. (Source: L'Equipe) pic.twitter.com/cXSjQRva3K
Premier League jerseys of each club for the 2025-26 season
Before the Premier League 2025-26 season starts, here are the Premier League jerseys of each club for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Every team have released their home, away and third kit.
Although fans have some time to wait before the Premier League 2025/26 season, the preparation for the teams is definitely underway. All the teams in the league have already revealed their home and away kits for the upcoming season.
While each kit will keep the team colours, there are always new ways to play with the look for both home and away.
Here are all the 2025-26 Premier League jerseys for each club in alphabetical order.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s new kit for their men’s and women’s teams leans into nostalgia with the red shirt, trimmed with white shoulders and red detailing, featuring the letter 'A' on the badge at the forefront, in a reference to the 1990-91 title-winning season.
Aston Villa
The design includes nods to the home city of Birmingham, with design details inspired by the iconic Bullring, where the team has a new fan store.
AFC Bournemouth
The red and black stripes are a little broader than usual and the metallic gold trim adds a sprinkling of glitz. It's unlikely to make much of an impact outside of the immediate vicinity of the Vitality Stadium.
Brentford
Brentford's latest home shirt celebrates the 100th anniversary of the team adopting red and white stripes as their official club colours. Naturally, the design is just that, with the heritage faux lace-up collar being the only real retro appointment of note, a nod to the first batch of home jerseys worn by the Bees in 1925.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Rather than the standard yellow trim, this season's familiar blue-and-white stripes are accompanied by accents of minty turquoise, like the rails that run along the city's seafront.
The new kit has been designed to visually encapsulate the rugged landscape that surrounds Burnley and celebrate the beauty of Lancashire.
Chelsea
Chelsea have revealed their sleek away kit, with a largely white look, accented with red and green. Meanwhile, the home kit has its standard blue colour with dark blue texture all over the kit.
Crystal Palace
After a few years of more experimental and off-piste designs, the Eagles' new home jersey features clean red and blue stripes with all the extra detailing picked out in white.
Everton
This one comes in a beautiful shade of creamy yellow and includes subtle references to the industrial heritage of the Bramley-Moore docklands, the site of the club's new stadium. The pattern on the sleeves references the old railway lines that ran in and out of the area and have since been reinstalled as a heritage attraction.
Fulham
Fulham's association with Adidas has brought a beautiful, bright white kit with black stripes on the shoulder and crest.
Liverpool FC
Liverpool started their partnership with Adidas this year. Their home kit with the red and white combo looks like one of the best jerseys of the season. Their away kit will have white as the dominant colour with red stripes on the shoulders.
The blocky, tessellating pattern found on the collar and cuff is actually a replication of the yellow and blue tile pattern found in the Lowfields Tunnel near Elland Road.
Manchester City
Keeping the typical sky blue colour, Man City have adopted a new look, with a white slash across the front and minimalistic emphasis on its sponsors.
Manchester United
This design is fairly traditional, with a solid red base and sparse black-and-white trim. However, the material does contain a subtle reference to Old Trafford via a smattering of dots and stripes.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s 2025/26 kit doesn’t just look good, but also does good, with £5 per shirt sold going to the Newcastle United Foundation.
Nottingham Forest
With a folding collar and immaculate white pinstriping inspired by the revered home shirt of 1992-1994.
Sunderland
A lovely bit of retro-infused handiwork from Danish brand Hummel here, who have used Sunderland's cult classic 1989-91 away kit as inspiration for a demure maritime-themed jersey that is covered in a pattern made up of local coastal landmarks, including the Roker Beach lighthouse.
ATP & WTA Rankings: Most number of weeks as World No.1 Tennis Player [Updated]
Novak Djokovic has surpassed Stefi Graff's record for being at the top of the ATP & WTA Rankings for the most number of weeks. In this article we will rank top 10 ranking players who spent most weeks as no.1.
ATP & WTA Rankings cater to men's singles and doubles players and women's singles and doubles players, respectively. Rankings can be regarded as the ultimate expression of a player's abilities on the field and their current form. Throughout the years, many players have been successful in climbing up the ranking ladder whilst others have fallen short of expectations.
Staying consistent isn't easy, and at times it is impossible to hold the rank with new faces coming into the field. At first glance, it appears impossible. However, in this article, we shall discuss players who have lived up to the adage "Impossible means I'm Possible."
#10. Martina Hingis- 209 Weeks
When it comes to Martina Hingis, her accomplishments know no boundaries. The Swiss star has proven her mettle since winning the Australian Open at the tender age of 16 and reaching the top spot in 1997 at the same age.
Hingis held on to the number-one ranking for 80 consecutive weeks until she was overtaken by Lindsay Davenport in 1998. This was a month after losing to the Americans in the US Open final.
However, regardless of what happened, Hingis refused to give up and snatched the top spot from Davenport in 1999. As a result, she spent a total of 209 weeks as the number one player, but as fate would have it, Jennifer Capriati ascended the ladder to dethrone her.
Probably, She could have been the greatest female tennis player the world had ever seen, but she became enamoured with modelling and was never able to regain her form or ranking. "Fate is a cruel mistress, isn't it?" We ponder at times.
#9. Chris Evert- 260 Weeks
Whilst talking about her achievements, our words would fall inadequate. After all, This American legend holds the honour of being the first woman to officially be recognised as world number one. What an accomplishment! Over nine spells at the top of the women's tennis pile, Evert accumulated 260 weeks in the number one position.
From 1976 until 1985, Evert was in a constant battle for the top spot with Martina Navratilova. However, after years of jaw-dropping collisions, the 'Ice Maiden's ' reign came to an end with Martina fetching the spot. Moreover, Chris Evert's Wonderful journey also earned her a place in our list of ATP & WTA Rankings.
If you're a tennis enthusiast, you've probably heard this name before. Jimmy Connors has a reputation as a great coach in addition to being a successful player. He also dominated the ATP Rankings for 268 weeks.
The American became the first man in history to cross the 200-week mark. He is also the first person on this list of ATP & WTA Rankings to have won over 100 awards. In addition, Connor has won eight Grand Slams. However, he never managed to win Roland Garros in his life, only reaching the semi-finals four times on the clay court.
Connors retired at the age of 43 after a long career in the sport. His playing technique, particularly his backhands, has inspired the modern era indeed. Also, he coached Maria Sharapova, who rose to World No. 1 in the women's category under his tutelage.
#7. Ivan Lendl- 270 Weeks
Ivan Lendl is a Czech icon who is the only player from his country to ever reach the top of the world rankings. For 270 weeks, he was the top player in the ATP Rankings. He is one of only two players to achieve Rank 1 before winning a Grand Slam.
After ascending to the throne in February 1983, the Czech ruled for a total of 29 weeks before embarking on his three-year reign. He won five of his eight Slam victories over this period of almost 150 weeks, as well as reaching the Wimbledon final twice, in 1986 and 1987, the only times he did so.
Lendl became known as the "Man Who Revolutionized Tennis" after winning eight major titles and 94 titles. He pioneered aggressive baseline power tennis (which can now be observed in Rafael Nadal's game), as well as a combination of forehand and topspin.
Aside from his playing accomplishments, he went on to become a successful coach for Scottish tennis star Andy Murray, guiding him to the number one ranking.
#6. Pete Sampras- 286 Weeks
Pete Sampras is one of the most successful American tennis players on this list. He was the World No.1 for 286 weeks. From April 15, 1996, to March 30, 1998, Sampras held the top spot in the ATP rankings for the longest time.
During his long career, Sampras has won 64 titles. He even won 14 Grand Slam titles over his career, including his 14th on his final appearance at the major event; he is the only player to have done so to date.
Because of his abilities, he rose to the top of the charts and got a place in our list of ATP & WTA Rankings. Opponents dreaded his precise and powerful serves during his playing days. Sampras was even given the moniker 'Pistol Pete'.
Roger Federer has won everyone's hearts with his tremendous tennis skills. Fans even gave him the nickname 'The swiss maestro', impressed by the proficiency of his craft. Is there anything that this man hasn't gained? A simple answer would be hatred.
The Swiss maestro is adored by everyone on the planet. With his balletic movements in the court, his poised serves, and his Always-smiling face, he holds a special position in every ardent tennis fan's heart.
King Federer wore the crown of ATP Rank 1 for 310 weeks, the first male player in the history of tennis to cross 300 weeks. He also has a record of 237 straight weeks as Number One.
Accompanied by his utter dominance on grass, Federer earned the title 'King of grass'. To date, he and Martina Navratilova remain the ultimate king and queen in Wimbledon. Moreover, He is regarded as the G.O.A.T. in men's tennis due to his incredible abilities on the court.
#4. Serena Williams- 319 Weeks
Can you believe the 23-time Slam champion first topped the women's rankings on July 8, 2002, when she was only 20 years old? Well, neither can we. After achieving such a record, the young American remained in first place for nearly a year, 57 weeks to be exact, while she won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open consecutively before adding a second Wimbledon to bring her total Slam tally to five.
From August 2003 to September 2008, Williams was not ranked number one at all. Meanwhile, the top spot changed hands 19 times between seven different women. However, her poised serve, and outstanding netplay propelled her back to the top rank for a month.
In addition, the amazing lady owns the record for the longest streak, which is 186 weeks. As a result of this, she linked hands with Steffi Graf.
Her list of accomplishments is certainly impressive, but there is one more feather that she may be able to introduce to her cap. That is winning 2 more grand slams and in the process, passing Margaret Court as the highest grand slam winner in tennis history (Both men's and women's). However, only time will tell if the 'Momma Smash' is capable of accomplishing such a feat.
#3. Martina Navratilova- 332 Weeks
The situation was not easy for 'The Wimbledon queen,' as her long-time adversary Chris Evert was not willing to give her a field in the WTA rankings. However, after much hard work, Navratilova was able to achieve the top ranking in July 1978. She dethroned Evert from the top, ending her 113-week reign.
In 1978, the 18-time Grand Slam champion won her first Grand Slam and first Wimbledon victory, which propelled her to the top of the rankings.
Well, after all of her hard work, it was finally time for her to bask in the glory of her accomplishments. Therefore, she went on to enjoy nine overall spells at world number one. She was last ranked in that position in August 1987, when she had 16 Slam singles wins under her belt. Her wonderful records placed her in the 3rd position in our list of ATP & WTA Rankings.
#2. Stefi Graff- 377 Weeks
Now, this brings us to the number 1 spot holder on our list of ATP & WTA Rankings. Honestly, our list can't be completed without her. Steffi Graf is a name to reckon with in the world of tennis. Often regarded as the greatest of all time, there might not be a lot of records in the book that the champion player hasn't broken.
Winner of as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, Steffi's presence was enough to send shivers down the spine of her opponents. Steffi's versatility and dominance across different surfaces made her the fan favourite. The extent of the German tennis star's dominance can be gauged by the fact that she held the world's No. 1 ranking for 377 weeks.
Graf first rose to the top of the rankings in August 1987. After breaking the reigning of Evert and Navratilova, Graf enjoyed 186 weeks in the top position on her first spell. Also, the 'Fraulein forehand' didn't just stop there. She went on to create history by completing the Calendar Golden Slam of winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold medal in 1988.
Graf achieved such a performance that the phrase "Golden Slam" was coined. Furthermore, with these accomplishments on her side, she went on to spend 377 weeks as the World's No. 1 tennis player, an astonishing record that remains untouched to date.
#1. Novak Djokovic- 428 Weeks
The 1 member of the 'Big Three' already appeared on this list and thus it leaves the second member of the trio to feature here. Novak Djokovic has been the World Number One for a record 428 weekswhile he has won 100 tour-level titles and overtook Stefi Graff's record. Djokovic climbed to No. 1 for the first time in 4 July 2011.
Aside from his rivals Nadal and Federer, Djokovic is one of the most successful players. He deserved to be at the top since he has dominated the court for the past decade. He is also considered to be the 'King of the Australian Open' due to winning the trophy 10 times. Astonishing, isn't it? The Serbian tennis player became the No.1 tennis player for the 11th time on January 11, 2023, as a result of his 4th US Open title.
Note: Stats are up to date till 23/07/2025. Written by Pritha Ghosh and states are updated by Koushik Biswas and Payal Debnath