Carlos Alcaraz reaches stunning world No 1 milestone only one man can beat
Carlos Alcaraz has hit plenty of huge milestones during his tennis career, and this week has delivered his latest in the ATP Rankings.
By reigning as the world No 1 this week, the Spaniard has now spent 60 weeks atop the ATP Rankings during his career — becoming only the 13th man in 53 years to spend that long at the top of the sport.
Not only has Alcaraz now spent 60 weeks as the world No 1, but he is also one of the youngest men in history to spend that long at the top, with only one man hitting 60 weeks at the top at a younger age than him.
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Who are the youngest men to reach 60 weeks as the world No 1?
5) John McEnroe – 23 years, 174 days
Alcaraz has recently drawn level with McEnroe on seven Grand Slam singles titles, and is now one of just four men younger than the American to spend 60 weeks at the top.
McEnroe was 23 years and 174 days old when he celebrated his 60th week as the world No 1 in August 1982, and ultimately spent a total of 170 weeks atop the ATP Rankings during his career.
4) Jimmy Connors – 23 years, 13 days
Another all-time great of the sport, Connors was close to half a year younger than McEnroe when he reached his 60th week as world No 1, though he has now also been overtaken by Alcaraz.
The eight-time Grand Slam singles champion celebrated his milestone 60th week at the top in September 1975, and spent a staggering 268 weeks as the world No 1 during his legendary career.
3) Pete Sampras – 22 years, 313 days
One of just three men to spend 60 weeks as the world No 1 before his 23rd birthday, tennis icon ‘Pistol Pete’ spent a total of 286 weeks as the world No 1 during his career.
Fourteen-time major champion Sampras spent his 60th week as the world No 1 in June 1994, and was just a handful of weeks older than Alcaraz when he hit this impressive milestone.
2) Carlos Alcaraz – 22 years, 294 days
Alcaraz will not celebrate his 23rd birthday until May, yet he has already achieved a staggering set of milestones during his career.
The Spaniard is the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, achieving that feat this year at the Australian Open, and also became the youngest-ever ATP world No 1 in September 2022.
Now, Alcaraz is the second youngest man to spend 60 weeks at world No 1, and will likely reign atop the ATP Rankings for several more weeks to come across his career.
1) Lleyton Hewitt – 21 years, 316 days
Before Alcaraz, Hewitt had been the youngest man to ever top the ATP Rankings in singles.
And, while the Spaniard may have taken that record, he was well off challenging Hewitt’s status as the youngest man to spend 60 weeks at the top.
Hewitt rose to world No 1 for the first time in November 2001 and spent his milestone 60th week as world No 1 in early 2003, aged 21 years and 316 days.
The Australian ultimately spent 80 weeks atop the ATP Rankings during his career, a total Alcaraz could hit this coming spring.
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