The history of the world tennis rankings, which started in 1973, provides for many statistics and curiosities. Here we summarize the most significant On the occasion of the record of weeks that Novak Djokovic broke this Monday, with 311.
-First. It was the Romanian Ilie Nastase, since Thursday, August 23, 1973, the day the ranking was created. The whole week was told to him. He won the US Open in 1972 and Roland Garros in 1973. The ranking was created to establish a target system based on performance to guarantee entry into tournaments.
-The youngest. Lleyton Hewitt caught up with him at 20 years and 268 days, on November 19, 2001. By then, he had already won the US Open and had been a finalist at Roland Garros.
Lleyton Hewitt
-The oldest. Roger Federer last rose to number one at 36 years and 320 days, on June 24, 2018. Between the first (February 2, 2004) and the last, 14 years and 142 days passed. Ahead of Rafa Nadal (11 years and 168 days).
-The brief. Patrick Rafter only stayed one week, from July 26 to August 1, 1999. And he did not play a single game as number one.
-The most modest. Marcelo Ríos, who spent six weeks in 1998, is the only number one who has never won a Grand Slam title. He only reached the final in Australia in 1998.
-The most strange. Yevgeny Kafelnikov rose to the top on May 3, 1999, coming off six first-round losses.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
-Natural year. Six players started and finished a year as number one. Connors (1975, 76 and 78), Lendl (1986 and 87), Sampras (1994 and 97), Hewitt (2002), Federer (2005, 06 and 07) and Djokovic (2015).
-Changes. In 1999 there were five different numbers one: Sampras, Moyá, Kafelnikov, Agassi and Rafter.
-More times. John McEnroe reached number one 14 times. He had to fight and alternate with Borg, Connors and Lendl.
-Lefty. There are five who have reached the top: Connors, McEnroe, Ríos, Muster and Nadal.
-Weeks in a row. The record is still held by Federer, who concatenated 237 between February 2, 2004 and August 17, 2004, when Nadal snatched it from him.