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The ATP began issuing rankings to players beginning from August 1973. Since 1979, at the start of every week, the ATP publishes its rankings of players. Since inception in 1973, 25 different men have risen to the top of the ATP charts and 17 of those 26 have finished the year as Number 1 on at least 1 occasion. The methodology involved to calculate the ranking points is based on performance in 18 tournaments (19 including the Nitto ATP Finals) which include all 4 Grand Slams, all 8 ATP Masters 1000 events, 4 ATP 500 Tour events where the player has performed the best and best two results from ATP 250 Tournaments. For lower ranked players additional ATP 500 Tour and ATP 250 Tournaments may be included along with ATP Challenger Series and Futures Series Tournaments.
Lleyton Hewitt is the youngest ATP World Number 1 and Roger Federer is the oldest man to rise to the top of the ATP charts. The only player to have ascended to the top of the rankings without winning a Grand Slam title is Chilean Marcelo Rios. 26 players belonging to a total of 14 countries have stood on top of the ATP charts. We take a look at 5 players who have been at the summit of the ATP rankings for the most weeks :
#5 Novak Djokovic
The Serb Novak Djokovic is the current World Number 1 and he will finish 2018 as the Number 1 ranked player making him the oldest ever player to finish a calendar year ranked Number 1 at 31 years, 223 days.
Djokovic was ranked outside the Top-20 at the start of the year and his meteoric rise to the top began at the Wimbledon Championships where he re-discovered his old mojo to take the title and his 4th Wimbledon Championship. Djokovic first rose to the summit in July 2011 and was ranked Number 1 for an entire year. He lost the Number 1 ranking to Federer who overtook him after winning the 2012 Wimbledon. Djokovic regained the numero uno position in November 2012 stayed there till October 2013. His third stint at the top came from July 2014 to November 2016 (almost two and a half years). Victory at the Shanghai Rolex Masters earlier this month coupled with Rafael Nadal pulling out of the tournament meant that Djokovic rose to the top for the 4th time. Djokovic has been World Number 1 for a total of 225 weeks till date.
#4 Jimmy Connors
American Jimmy Connors has won a record 109 ATP titles - a record which still stands to this date. Connors rose to the top of the ATP rankings on 5 different occasions most notably he was ranked Number 1 for a consecutive 160 weeks from 1974 to 1977. Connors is one of 6 Men to have been ranked Number 1 in their 20's and 30's. Connors also holds the all-time record for the most Singles matches played and most Singles matches won - 1535 and 1256 respectively.
Connors won 8 Grand Slam Singles titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998. Connors spent a total of 268 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
#3 Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is the only male tennis athlete to have aggregated a win percentage of 90% or above for 5 different years. He won 94 Singles Titles including 8 Grand Slam titles. Lendl rose to the top of the ATP rankings for the first time in February 1983. He was yet to win a Grand Slam title back then. Lendl is one among two players who rose to the top without winning a Grand Slam title at the time.
Lendl had 8 stints as the top-ranked player with the most notable being his 7th stint at the top which came in 1989-1990 lasting 157 consecutive weeks. In all, Lendl spent 270 weeks at the top.
#2 Pete Sampras
One of the greatest grass court players of all-time, Pete Sampras was the last of the great serve-and-volley players. Nicknamed 'Pistol Pete' for his speedy serves, Sampras is the only man to have topped the year-end ATP rankings for 6 consecutive years between 1993 and 1998 inclusive.
Sampras had 11 stints at the top of the ATP rankings - the second most after fellow American John McEnroe who had 14 stints. The 14-time Grand Slam champion was the Number 1 ranked player for an impressive 286 weeks.
#1 Roger Federer
Roger Federer not only holds the record for the most weeks spent at the top of the ATP rankings but also is the record holder for being the Number 1 ranked player for most consecutive weeks. Roger Federer's first stint at the top was also his longest stretching 4 and a half years from February 2004 to August 2008 (a combined 237 weeks).
In all, Federer has had 6 stints at the summit. The gap between his first ascent to the top and the latest rise to the top of the ATP rankings is the longest ever at 14 years and 142 days. Federer has till date topped the ATP charts for 310 weeks.
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