The ATP World No.1 ranking is the highest ranking a player can achieve in professional men’s tennis.
Since the rankings were first presented by the Association of Tennis Professionals on 23 August 1973, a total of 29 different players have reached the world number 1 in men’s singles.
The rankings are calculated using a 52-week points system, where players earn points based on their results in tournaments such as Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000 events, ATP 500 tournaments, and ATP 250 tournaments.
The first player ranked No.1 was Ilie Năstasewhile Novak Djokovic currently holds the record for most weeks ranked No. 1 in ATP history.
Below is a complete list of all players who have reached the ATP No.1 ranking in the world since 1973.
List of ATP World No.1 players (1973–Present)
| No. | The player | The country | First It Was No.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ilie Năstase | Romania | 1973 |
| 2 | John Newcombe | Australia | 1974 |
| 3 | Jimmy Connors | USA | 1974 |
| 4 | Björn Borg | in Sweden | 1977 |
| 5 | John McEnroe | USA | 1980 |
| 6 | Ivan Lendl | Czech Republic / USA | 1983 |
| 7 | Mats Wilander | in Sweden | 1988 |
| 8 | Stefan Edberg | in Sweden | 1990 |
| 9 | Boris Becker | In Germany | 1991 |
| 10 | Jim Courier | USA | 1992 |
| 11 | Pete Sampras | USA | 1993 |
| 12 | Andre Agassi | USA | 1995 |
| 13 | Thomas Muster | In Austria | 1996 |
| 14 | Marcelo Ríos | in Chile | 1998 |
| 15 | Carlos Moya | Spain | 1999 |
| 16 | Evgeny Kafelnikov | Russia | 1999 |
| 17 | Patrick Rafter | Australia | 1999 |
| 18 | Marat Safin | Russia | 2000 |
| 19 | Gustavo Kuerten | Brazil | 2000 |
| 20 | Lleyton Hewitt | Australia | 2001 |
| 21 | Juan Carlos Ferrero | Spain | 2003 |
| 22 | Andy Roddick | USA | 2003 |
| 23 | Roger Federer | in Switzerland | 2004 |
| 24 | Rafael Nadal | Spain | 2008 |
| 25 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 2011 |
| 26 | Andy Murray | Great Britain | 2016 |
| 27 | Daniel Medvedev | Russia | 2022 |
| 28 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 2022 |
| 29 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 2024 |
First World ATP No.1
The first official country of the ATP No.1 was Ilie Năstasewho reached the top of the rankings on 23 August 1973 when the ATP introduced its computerized ranking system.
Prior to 1973, the ranking of tennis was largely determined by journalists and national federations rather than a points-based system.
World No.1 Junior ATP
The youngest player to reach world No. 1 in ATP history is Lleyton Hewitt, who became No.1 in November 2001 at the age of 20 years and 8 months.
Old ATP World No.1
The oldest player to hold the ATP No.1 position is Roger Federer, who returned to the top in 2018 at the age of 36 years and 195 days.
The Big Three Era of ATP No.1
From the mid-2000s to the early 2020s, the world No.1 ranking was dominated by three major players of the modern era:
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
- Novak Djokovic
Between them, the trio spent more than 900 combined weeks ranked No.1, dominating men’s tennis for nearly two decades.
How ATP Levels Work
ATP levels are calculated using a 52-week rolling point system.
Players earn ranking points for their results in tournaments across the ATP Tour, including:
- Grand Slams (2,000 points for the winner)
- ATP Masters 1000 tournaments
- ATP 500 events
- ATP 250 tournaments
- ATP Challenger Tour events
Only a player’s best 19 tournament results count towards their ranking value.
You can read more in our guide to the ATP Rankings system.
FAQ
How many players have been world No.1 in men’s tennis?
Since the introduction of the ATP rankings in 1973, 29 players have reached the No.1 ranking in the world.
Who has the most weeks as ATP world No.1?
Novak Djokovic holds the record for most weeks ranked No. 1 in ATP history.
Who was the first ATP world No.1?
The first ATP world No.1 was Ilie Năstase in 1973.
Who is the youngest ATP world No.1?
The youngest world No.1 in men’s tennis history is Lleyton Hewitt.
