Novak Djokovic started the second week of March, 2021 as the reigning number 1 player in ATP rankings. The Serbian tennis legend broke the record for most weeks at number 1 in ATP rankings. Djokovic now have been top ranked player in the world for 311 weeks.
Djokovic broke the record of his modern-day arch rival, Roger Federer. Roger had set the record for 310 weeks. Novak who won his 18th Grand Slam last month became No.1 for the first time on 4 July 2011. Since then he has been at the top in five stints, 122 weeks the most among them.
This occasion gives us an opportunity to look at the list of Top 10 players with most weeks at number 1 in ATP rankings.
Top 10 players with most weeks at number 1 in ATP rankings
#1 Novak Djokovic – 321 weeks at number 1 in ATP Rankings
By starting this week as the number 1 ranked player in the world, Djokovic entered his 321st week as the top ranked player. From 7 July 2014 to 6 November 2016 Novak stayed at the top for 122 consecutive weeks. Novak also finished a year while being at number 1 on six occasions, equaling the record of Pete Sampras.
#2 Roger Federer – 320 weeks at number 1 in ATP Rankings
Roger Federer, the 20 time Grand Slam winner stayed at the top for 320 weeks in ATP rankings. He also has the record for 237 consecutive weeks at number 1 in ATP rankings. Moreover he has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times, which is also only second to record of Djokovic and Sampras.
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#3 Pete Sampras- 286 at number 1 in ATP Rankings
Pete became the No.1 in 1993. Sampras has the open Era record of six consecutive year-end No. 1 rankings from 1993 to 1998. He is the only man in the open era to have won the final Grand Slam tournament at which he competed. Pete “Pistol Pete” Sampras stayed at the top for 286 weeks at the ATP rankings.
Read more: Most Grand Slam Titles in Women’s Tennis (active players) 2021
#4 Ivan Lendl- 270 weeks at number 1 in ATP Rankings
Ivan Lendl, who brought the powerful baseline style of play, stayed at the top for 270 weeks. Lendl also has a record of losing 11 major finals.
#5 Jimmy Connors -268 weeks at number 1 in ATP Rankings
Connors was the first player to be ranked No.1 for more than 200 weeks. He stayed at the top for then-record 160 consecutive weeks from 1974 to 1977. 109 titles, 1,557 matches played, and 1,274 match wins- these three are the records Jimmy Connors has by virtue of his long and prolific career.
