The 5 men with most weeks in first spell as world No 1: Jannik Sinner climbs to 3rd, Roger Federer holds record

Ewan West 16 Jun 2025 4:30 PM

Pictured: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

From left to right: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Having already surpassed Rafael Nadal with an outstanding world No 1 ranking feat, Jannik Sinner has now overtaken Novak Djokovic with his maiden streak in top spot.

Here, we look at the five players who have amassed the longest stints after first reaching world No 1 in the ATP Rankings.

5. Rafael Nadal – 46 weeks

Rafael Nadal overtook his great rival Roger Federer to become world No 1 for the first time on August 18, 2008 following his maiden Wimbledon triumph and his gold medal win at the Beijing Olympics (which carried ranking points).

The Spaniard’s first of eight different spells at the peak of the rankings lasted 46 weeks, before Federer reclaimed top spot on July 6, 2009.

Nadal won five titles during this period: the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome (all in 2009).

4. Novak Djokovic – 53 weeks

Novak Djokovic first ascended to the pinnacle of the ATP Rankings on July 4, 2011 after winning his eighth title of a staggering campaign at Wimbledon.

In the first of his 10 different world No 1 stints, Djokovic — who replaced Nadal at the top — occupied the ranking for 53 weeks until losing the position to Federer on July 9, 2012.

The Serb’s maiden No 1 streak featured titles in Montreal and at the US Open in 2011 and at the Australian Open and Miami Open in 2012.

3. Jannik Sinner – 54 weeks

Jannik Sinner is into his 54th successive week on top of the ATP Rankings, having first become world No 1 on June 10, 2024 after leapfrogging Djokovic.

The Italian has won six titles so far during his spell as the top-ranked player in the world: Halle, Cincinnati, the US Open, Shanghai, the ATP Finals (all in 2024), and the Australian Open (2025).

The 23-year-old was a runner-up at both the French Open and the Italian Open during the 2025 clay season after returning from a three-month suspension for failed doping tests.

With a 2,030-point lead over world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner is guaranteed to remain in top spot until after Wimbledon.

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2. Lleyton Hewitt – 75 weeks

Lleyton Hewitt became world No 1 for the first of two different spells on November 19, 2001 after victories at the US Open, the Japan Open and the ATP Finals saw him overtake Gustavo Kuerten.

The Australian’s maiden stint lasted 75 weeks — a record at the time — and ended on April 28, 2003 when Andre Agassi took his place.

Hewitt won seven titles during this period: the Pacific Coast Championships, Indian Wells, the Queen’s Club Championships, Wimbledon and the ATP Finals in 2002; and the Franklin Templeton Classic and Indian Wells in 2003.

1. Roger Federer – 237 weeks

Roger Federer‘s first of six stints as the world No 1 began on February 2, 2004 when he climbed above Andy Roddick after securing his maiden Australian Open crown and second major.

The streak endured for a staggering 237 weeks (over four-and-a-half years) until it was broken by Nadal’s rise to the top on August 18, 2008.

During what remains the record spell for consecutive weeks spent on top of the rankings, Federer collected 43 titles, including 10 Grand Slams, three ATP Finals crowns and 13 Masters 1000 titles.