Jannik Sinner emulates unique Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal feat with Davis Cup title
Only five men have won the Davis Cup title while occupying the No 1 spot in the ATP Rankings with Jannik Sinner the latest player to notch up the achievement.
The Davis Cup – the world’s largest annual team sporting tournament – has been running since 1900 while the singles rankings were only introduced in August 1973.
In the past 51 years, 29 different men have been ranked at No 1 in the world and 19 have finished as the year-end No 1, but only five of them managed to win the Davis Cup title while sitting at the top.
The 5 men to Davis Cup while topping the ATP Rankings:
John McEnroe – 1981 and 1982
The legendary John McEnroe spent a total of 172 weeks at No 1 in the rankings and won five Davis Cup titles with the United States. Two of his Davis Cup titles were won when he was No 1 in the world.
McEnroe finished as the year-end No 1 in 1981 and in December he helped the US to defeat Argentina in the Davis Cup final in Cincinnati. The tennis great won his two singles rubbers and also teamed up with Peter Fleming in the doubles as the US won 3-1.
The United States successfully defended their crown the following year and again McEnroe was at the fore as he once again won two singles ties and the doubles with Fleming during a 4-1 win over France in Grenoble.
Jim Courier – 1992
Jim Courier was at No 1 in the world from October 1992 until April 1993 and during that period he won the Davis Cup with the United States as they defeated Switzerland 3-1 in Texas.
Courier lost his opening singles match and won his second rubber while Andre Agassi and the combination of John McEnroe and Pete Sampras won the doubles.
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Pete Sampras – 1995
Pete Sampras topped the ATP Rankings for an incredible 286 weeks, but only won two Davis Cup titles.
His first was in 1992, but at that stage he hadn’t reached No 1 in the world yet. Three years later he won his second title while topping the rankings.
Sampras defeated Andrei Chesnokov and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the singles and also won the doubles alongside Todd Martin as the US beat Russia 3-2.
Rafael Nadal – 2019
More than two decades would pass before the man sitting at No 1 would win the Davis Cup again as Rafael Nadal became the fourth man to achieve the feat.
Nadal returned to No 1 in November 2019 and in December he steered Spain to a 2-0 win over Canada in Malaga for a fifth Davis Cup title. The tennis great won his singles rubber and Denis Shapovalov while Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Jannik Sinner – 2024
Five years later it became a five-man club as Jannik Sinner also won the Davis Cup while at No 1.
After leading Italy to the Davis Cup title in 2023 while at No 4 in the ATP Rankings, Sinner was again at the fore a year later as they successfully defended their title. This time the Italian was sitting at No 1 in the world.
After Matteo Berrettini beat Botic van de Zandschulp, Sinner defeated Tallon Griekspoor to hand Italy a 2-0 victory and their third title overall.
Sinner was also the first player to win the ATP Finals and Davis Cup in the same year since Michael Stich achieved the feat with Germany in 1993.
