The 7 shortest world No 1’s on the ATP Rankings: ft. Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg
Only 29 men have ever reached the top of the ATP Rankings, with the world No 1 club being one of the most exclusive in tennis.
Tennis has become more and more dominated by taller players, with Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner among the tallest-ever world No 1’s, though some players have punched above their height.
Here, we look at the seven men under six feet to reach the world No 1 position on the ATP Tour.
This list is based on the official height listed for each player on the ATP Tour website.
=4) Andre Agassi – 5’11/180cm
One of the greatest players of all time, eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi spent an impressive 101 weeks as the world No 1 across his career.
A champion at all four Grand Slam tournaments, the American first rose to No 1 in April 1995, with his last spell atop the ATP Rankings ending over eight years later in September 2003.
At 5’11/180cm tall, Agassi is the joint-fourth-shortest world No 1 in the ATP Tour singles rankings
=4) Thomas Muster – 5’11/180cm
One of the greatest clay-court players of all time, Muster famously fought back from a near-career-ending car crash to claim Grand Slam glory at the 1995 French Open.
The winner of 44 ATP Tour titles, 1995 proved to be the most successful year of the Austrian’s career, leading to him spending six weeks atop the ATP Rankings – across two spells early in 1996.
Much like his contemporary Agassi, Muster was 5’11/180cm tall.
=4) Bjorn Borg – 5’11/180cm
A true icon of tennis, Borg was the dominant force of the men’s game across the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning six French Open and five Wimbledon titles in his legendary career.
First rising to world No 1 in August 1977, the Swede has six separate spells as the world No 1 across his career, holding the top spot for a total of 109 weeks until his final spell in August 1981.
The Swede was 5’11/180cm in height, placing him joint-fourth on this list.
=4) John McEnroe – 5’11/180cm
Registered as the exact same height as his great rival Borg, alongside Agassi and Muster, tennis legend McEnroe was 5’11/180cm tall.
The American was one of the most successful players of his era and in ATP history, winning four US Open titles, three Wimbledon titles, and 77 ATP Tour career singles titles overall.
Ranging from 1980 to 1985, McEnroe spent 14 separate spells as the world No 1, totalling an impressive 170 weeks at the top of the ATP Rankings.
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=2) Jimmy Connors – 5’10/178cm
Registered just one inch shorter than great rivals McEnroe and Borg, among others, US great Connors is one of the most dominant world No 1’s in ATP history.
Connors once spent 160 straight weeks as the world No 1, starting in 1974, and held the ranking for 268 weeks across nine spells in total – the fifth-highest tally in tour history.
The winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles and a record 109 titles in total, the American icon was 5’10/178cm tall.
=2) Lleyton Hewitt – 5’10/178cm
Also registered as 5’10/178cm tall, Hewitt is the only man under six feet tall to debut as the ATP Tour world No 1 this century.
The Australian debuted as the world No 1 in November 2001 and spent 8o weeks atop the ATP Rankings across two separate spells, currently the tenth-most in tour history.
Hewitt is most famous for his 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon triumphs, though won 30 ATP Tour titles overall in his career.
1) Marcelo Rios – 5’9/175cm
To date, Rios remains the only man in ATP Tour history to have reached the world No 1 position without ever winning a Grand Slam title.
However, at 5’9/175cm tall, he makes further history as the shortest player to ever sit atop the ATP Rankings.
Rios’ best Grand Slam run came at the Australian Open in 1998, finishing as the runner-up, while he won an impressive 18 ATP Tour titles.
The Chilean spent six weeks as the world No 1 over two spells across 1998.
