The 8 men with the most wins over a world No 1: Rafael Nadal with 23

Pictured: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer comparison
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (L-R)

There are plenty of Rafael Nadal records that might never be broken – and recording the most wins over world No 1-ranked players is one of them.

The Spaniard beat a reigning world No 1 on 23 separate occasions during his career, a total that puts him four clear of any other man since the ATP Rankings were launched in 1973.

Nadal is comfortably clear of both his fellow Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in this statistic, though both men still feature inside the top eight.

=6) Juan Martin del Potro – 10 wins

One of the best players never to reach world No 1, former world No 3 del Potro picked up 10 wins over top-ranked players – all against one of Djokovic, Federer, or Nadal.

Del Potro beat Federer four times while the Swiss was the world No 1, including in three finals at the 2009 US Open, 2012 Swiss Indoors, and Indian Wells in 2018.

The Argentine picked up three such wins over Nadal, including his first win over a No 1 at the 2009 Miami Open, and defeated Djokovic three times, notably in the opening round of Rio 2016.

=6) Roger Federer – 10 wins

Federer spent 310 weeks atop the ATP Rankings – including 237 consecutively – though the Swiss still managed to record 12 wins of his own versus a world No 1.

He defeated Djokovic five times while the Serbian was No 1, including in the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2012 – a tournament he would win – and three times during his rival’s historic 2015 campaign.

Federer also attained three victories over Nadal, his first coming on the Spaniard’s home turf in the 2009 Madrid Open final, while also defeating Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick.

=6) Andre Agassi – 10 wins

Ranked as the world No 1 for 101 weeks across his legendary career, eight-time major champion Agassi recorded 10 wins over the ATP’s top-ranked players.

Half of those wins came versus chief rival Pete Sampras, who he defeated five times during his compatriot’s reign at the top – including in the 1995 Australian Open final.

Agassi’s first two wins over a No 1 came versus Stefan Edberg, while he would also beat Marat Safin, Gustavo Kuerten, and Hewitt during their spells as the best player in the world.

5) Andy Murray – 12 wins

Three-time major champion Murray picked up an impressive 12 wins over world No 1s and – much like del Potro – all of them came against the ‘Big Three’.

Murray defeated Djokovic five times while the Serbian was atop the ATP Rankings, including in finals at the 2011 Cincinnati Open, 2013 Wimbledon, 2015 Canadian Open, and 2016 Italian Open.

The Brit’s four wins over Federer are led by his memorable triumph at the London 2012 Olympics, while his three victories against Nadal include the semi-finals of the 2008 US Open.

4) Ivan Lendl – 13 wins

Only three men beat Lendl’s haul of 270 weeks as the world No 1, and the Czech-born American also amassed an impressive 13 wins over top-ranked players himself during his legendary career.

Ten of those 13 wins came against John McEnroe across a three-year period from 1982-1985, with notable triumphs in the 1984 French Open and 1985 US Open finals.

Lendl’s first win over a world No 1 came against Bjorn Borg back in 1980, while he would bookend his career with two wins over another Swede in the form of Edberg.

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3) Novak Djokovic – 16 wins

Djokovic’s 428 weeks atop the singles rankings is a record for a male player, though the Serbian also makes the podium here – with an impressive 16 wins over No 1s.

Eleven of those 16 wins were against chief rival Nadal and 10 of those came in finals, including a run which saw Djokovic triumph at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, and Wimbledon in 2011.

His first three wins over a No 1 came against Federer, notably in the semi-final of the 2008 Australian Open, while he beat Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros and Cincinnati in 2023.

2) Boris Becker – 19 wins

A six-time Grand Slam champion and former world No 1 himself, Becker picked up a staggering 19 wins over top-ranked players during his legendary career.

Seven of Becker’s first eight wins over a No 1 came against Lendl, with his most significant victories versus the Czech coming in the 1986 Wimbledon and 1989 US Open finals.

Becker also defeated world No 1 Sampras four times, including in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals in 1994 and 1996.

The German also claimed three wins over both Edberg and Jim Courier, as well as one win apiece against Agassi and Mats Wilander.

1) Rafael Nadal – 23 wins

Comfortably out in front is the recently retired Nadal.

Unsurprisingly, all of his 23 wins came against one of Federer or Djokovic, defeating the Swiss 13 times and the Serbian 10 times.

Nadal’s 13 wins over world No 1 Federer include their first meeting at the 2004 Miami Open, but also include three straight French Open finals from 2006-08 and their iconic 2008 Wimbledon final.

The Spaniard’s 10 triumphs over Djokovic include three major finals – the French Open in 2012 and 2020, and the 2013 US Open – alongside further Roland Garros victories in 2013 and 2022.

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