The 7 men with biggest gap between first and last week as world No 1: Roger Federer 14 years, Rafael Nadal No 3
A handful of ATP all-time greats have well and truly found themselves at home at the top of the world rankings.
We look at the all-time greats with the longest spells between their first and last week as the world No 1.
7) Ivan Lendl – 7 years, 165 days
The dominant force throughout the mid-to-late 1980s, Lendl spent 270 weeks as world No 1 – a total only three men can beat.
One of just two men to reach world No 1 before winning a major, the Czech first rose to the top of the ATP Rankings on February 28, 1983.
After eight separate spells at the top, the eight-time Grand Slam was last ranked No 1 on August 12, 1990, marking a gap of seven years and 165 days between his first and last week at the top.
6) Pete Sampras – 7 years, 221 days
Sampras’s 286 weeks as the world No 1 was previously an ATP record, and is still the third-most week of any man in ATP history.
The American was just 21 when he first became No 1 on April 12, 1993, and would hold that ranking for 11 different periods across the 1990s and early 200s.
His last spell as the top-ranked player ended on November 19, 2000, a gap of seven years and 221 days.
5) Andre Agassi – 8 years, 150 days
One of the biggest stars in tennis history, eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi spent a total of 101 weeks at the top, making him one of just nine men to hit triple digits.
The American was first ranked as the world No 1 on April 10, 1995 and was the top-ranked played for the last time on September 11, 2003.
Having spent six different spells as the No 1 across that period, his gap of eight years and 150 days places him fifth in these all-time standings.
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4) Jimmy Connors – 8 years, 339 days
One of the dominant forces in the opening decade of the ATP era, Connors spent a total of 268 weeks as the No 1-ranked player – a tally only beaten by four men.
The American became the third No 1 in ATP history on July 29, 1974, and the eight-time Grand Slam champion’s final week at the top ended almost nine years later on July 3, 1983.
A gap of eight years and 339 days between his first and last days as world No 1 – spread across nine different periods – is only beaten by the ‘Big Three’.
3) Rafael Nadal – 11 years, 168 days
The ‘King of Clay’ and a 22-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal’s record speaks for itself – and his longevity has been something to behold as well.
The Spaniard was only 22 when he first became world No 1 on August 18, 2008, with his 209th and final week at the top finishing on February 2, 2020.
With eight separate spells as world No 1, Nadal’s gap of 11 years and 168 days ranks him third all-time.
2) Novak Djokovic – 12 years, 341 days
Djokovic is the oldest No 1 in ATP history and, across 10 different spells, his 428 weeks as world No 1 is the all-time record across either the ATP or WTA.
The Serbian first rose to No 1 on July 4, 2011, amid one of the most impressive seasons of his career, and he was dislodged for potentially the final time on June 9th this year.
That spans a gap of just under 13 years, a feat only one man can beat.
1) Roger Federer – 14 years, 142 days
One of the most iconic tennis players in history, it comes as no surprise to see Federer atop this list.
The Swiss became No 1 for the first time on February 2, 2004, and would spend the next 237 weeks at the top – a record for the longest consecutive spell as the world No 1.
Federer’s sixth and final spell as the best player in the world came on June 24th, 2018, having reigned for 310 weeks and with a gap of 14 years and 142 days between his first and last day as No 1.
