Men's Tennis: 5 players who were ranked ATP No. 1 for most weeks
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.