Novak Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer’s mark record for most weeks atop the ATP standings, reaching the No. 1 spot for the 311th week on Monday.
The milestone was a formality after he won his ninth Australian Open last month, guaranteeing he would remain No. 1. Still, he said Monday that he appreciates setting the record.
“It really excites me to walk the path of legends and giants of this sport,” Djokovic said in a statement released by the ATP. “To know that I have earned my place among them by following my childhood dream is a beautiful confirmation that when you do things out of love and passion, everything is possible.”
The record is broken!@DjokerNole now holds the record for most weeks at No. 1 in the @fedex ATP Rankings ?? #Novak311 pic.twitter.com/stV5Hnghdm
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 8, 2021
The 33-year-old Serbian is tied with Pete Sampras with six season-ending No. 1 rankings.
Sampras, who held the No. 1 spot for a total of 286 weeks, is third on the list for most weeks. Ivan Lendl of then-Czechoslovakia is fourth (270 weeks) and Jimmy Connors (268 weeks) is fifth.
“Novak’s many achievements in tennis are nothing short of extraordinary,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said. “Among them this record may stand as his single most impressive. Reaching No. 1 is something many players dream of and very few ever accomplish, and to have held the top spot for longer than anyone is testament to the levels of sustained excellence that Novak has redefined in our sport.”
Djokovic has held the top spot since reclaiming it from Rafael Nadal in February 2020.
Djokovic has won 18 Grand Slam titles, two fewer than Nadal of Spain and Federer of Switzerland.
–Field Level Media