The 11 men with most ATP Rankings year

Carlos Alcaraz had his ATP Rankings destiny in his own hands heading into the ATP Finals, and the Spaniard’s position at the top of the game is now secure.

The Spaniard’s win over Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday confirmed that he will end 2025 as the year-end world No 1, regardless of how he fares across the rest of his campaign in Turin.

Twenty-nine men have topped the ATP Rankings since their introduction in 1973, and 18 have achieved the year-end No 1 ranking, though the Spaniard is just the 11th man in ATP history to achieve the feat on multiple occasions; here, we look at the esteemed company he keeps.

Two year-end No 1 finishes

Carlos Alcaraz (2022 & 2025): Alcaraz became the youngest ever year-end No 1 aged 19 in 2022, and a dominant 2025 has now seen him claim a second year-end No 1 finish aged only 22.

Lleyton Hewitt (2001-2002): Aussie great Hewitt rose to world No 1 for the first time at the end of 2001 after his ATP Finals triumph, and remained atop the ATP Rankings throughout the entirety of 2002.

Stefan Edberg (1990-91): Edberg rose to world No 1 for the first time in 1990 and remained at the top at the end of the season, before edging out Boris Becker to again finish as year-end No 1 in 1991.

Bjorn Borg (1979-80): Borg was at the peak of his powers in the late 1970s and early 1980s and, after breaking Jimmy Connors’ stranglehold, achieved back-to-back year-end No 1 finishes in 1979 and 1980.

Four year-end No 1 finishes

John McEnroe (1981-84): McEnroe was the dominant force of early 1980s tennis, and earned four straight year-end No 1 finishes from 1981-84. The US great did not reign for a full calendar year at any point, but did enough to end the year at the top every time.

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Ivan Lendl (1985-1987, 1989): After breaking McEnroe’s stranglehold, Lendl reigned as year-end No 1 in 1985 and then spent the whole of 1986 and 1987 atop the ATP Rankings, before a final year-end No 1 finish in 1989.

Five year-end No 1 finishes

Rafael Nadal (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019): Tennis legend Nadal attained five separate year-end No 1 finishes over 11 years across his career, and is the only other Spaniard outside of Alcaraz to achieve a year-end No 1 finish.

Roger Federer (2004-07, 2009): Matching rival Nadal with five year-end world No 1 finishes is Federer, who achieved four consecutive finishes from 2004-07 — not losing the No 1 spot during that time — before attaining the feat for a fifth time in 2009.

Jimmy Connors (1974-1978): US icon Connors rose to world No 1 for the first time in 1974 and then achieved a staggering five straight year-end No 1 finishes, spending full calendar years atop the rankings in 1975, 1976, and 1978.

Six year-end No 1 finishes

Pete Sampras (1993-98): Many of Sampras’ records have been broken by the ‘Big 3’, but his run of six consecutive year-end world No 1 finishes, from 1993-98, will likely never be broken. The American spent full calendar years as the No 1 in 1994 and 1997.

Eight year-end No 1 finishes

Novak Djokovic (2011-12, 2014-15, 2018, 2020-21, 2023): Out in front is Djokovic, whose record of 428 weeks as the world No 1 is matched by a record eight year-end world No 1 finishes. The Serbian has achieved back-to-back year-end No 1 finishes on three separate occasions, also topping the rankings in 2018 and 2023.

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