The 6 men to spend a full calendar year as world No 1 on the ATP Tour
To get to world No 1 is tough, but to stay there is even tougher.
Since the ATP Rankings began in 1973, 28 men have climbed to the top of the rankings and some have stayed there for extended periods, cementing their greatness.
However, while many have had a long period as world No 1, only six men have ever been able to spend at least one full calendar year at the top.
Jimmy Connors – 1975, 1976, 1978
One of the most dominant No 1 players in ATP history, only five men have bettered Jimmy Connors’ 268 weeks at the very top of the sport.
The eight-time Grand Slam winner spent 251 weeks at world No 1 during the 1970s – more than anyone else – and held that ranking for 160 consecutive weeks at one point.
That reign spanned from July 1974 to August 1977, meaning he spent the entirety of 1975 and 1976 as the very best.
After regaining the world No 1 ranking after just one week, he didn’t lose his grip at the summit until April 1979 – encompassing the whole of 1978.
Read More: Jimmy Connors identifies reason for Novak Djokovic’s shock split with Goran Ivanisevic
Ivan Lendl – 1986, 1987
Lendl dominated throughout the 1980s, holding the world No 1 ranking for 238 weeks across the decade.
The Czech star first rose to the summit of men’s tennis in February 1983 and traded that ranking with Connors and John McEnroe across the next two and a half seasons.
But when he became world No 1 for a fifth time in September 1985, the eight-time Grand Slam champion remained at the top for three years.
That 157-week spell saw him finish year-end No 1 three years in a row, and reign supreme throughout 1986 and 1987.
Pete Sampras – 1994, 1997
‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras was almost unstoppable in his prime – particularly at Wimbledon, where he won seven of his 14 Grand Slam singles titles.
He dominated the No 1 ranking during the 1990s, spending 276 weeks at the top across the decade – with no other player making it 100 weeks during that era.
Sampras’ second spell at No 1 started in September 1993 and saw him spend 82 weeks on the trot at the top, spanning the entirety of 1994 before being usurped in April 1995.
But his longest spell at No 1 came in April 1996, spending the remainder of that season and the whole of 1997 as the best player in the world, before a 102-week-long reign ended in March 1998.
Read More: Leading coach ranks the top 5 serves in tennis history, ft. Nick Kyrgios and Pete Sampras
Lleyton Hewitt – 2002
The greatest Australian ATP player of the 21st century, few have matched Lleyton Hewitt’s competitive spirit.
Hewitt was a champion at the US Open and Wimbledon during his career – also being a finalist at his home major in 2005 – and spent 80 weeks as No 1 during the early 2000s.
Of those 80 weeks, 75 came consecutively, claiming the ranking for the first time in November 2001 and reigning until April 2003.
But that spell was long enough to see him on this list, reigning throughout 2002.
Roger Federer – 2005, 2006, 2007
A true great of the sport, few have come close to emulating Roger Federer, one of the most dominant tennis players in history.
Federer spent 310 weeks at the top of the game during his career and 262 weeks during the 2000s, with Hewitt’s 80 weeks the second-best of that decade.
The Swiss star’s 237-week run as world No 1 from February 2004 to August 2008 is the longest of any male player in history and saw him spend the entirety of 2005, 2006, and 2007 as the best in the world.
Novak Djokovic – 2015, 2021
No player – male or female – has spent as much time at the top as Novak Djokovic, with the Serbian amassing a staggering 423 weeks (and counting) as world No 1.
Djokovic first reached world No 1 in July 2011 and is still currently in the top spot, with few able to dislodge him from the top spot for too long.
One of his most dominant spells came in 2015 and he was world No 1 for the whole of that season, reigning from July 2014 to November 2016.
And, much like in 2015, Djokovic won three majors in 2021 during a commanding period as the world No 1, holding the esteemed ranking from February 2020 to February 2022.