Djokovic On Verge Of Becoming First Singles Player To Record 400 Weeks At No. 1

Djokovic On Verge Of Becoming First Singles Player To Record 400 Weeks At No. 1

| by Nurein Ahmed

Of all the records that Novak Djokovic has chalked down, his next one will most certainly stand out for many years to come.

Djokovic begins a 398th week atop the men's rankings (the most of any singles player on either tour) and is also guaranteed to make it 399th next week when he heads to Turin to defend his crown at the ATP Finals.

No player in singles has attained the 400-week mark. The Serbian will need just one round-robin match win to cement his spot as the ATP's World No. 1 for a jaw-dropping 400th week after the ATP Finals.

It will be mathematically impossible for Carlos Alcaraz to stop him should that scenario materialize. With a gap of 2,990 points in the live rankings, Djokovic might not even need to win a match at the ATP Finals should Alcaraz lose one of his round-robin matches.

Either way, this year's race between the world's top two has been truly captivating and breathtaking. 400 weeks is the equivalent of seven and a half years of being the best tennis player on the planet.

Djokovic also has as many weeks at No. 1 as the combined total of three former greats who belong in the Top 10 list (John McEnroe 170, Bjorn Borg 109, Andre Agassi 101).

And the biggest worry for the current crop of new stars is that even as he turns 37 next May, he hasn't shown any signs of leaving the limelight. Records continue to motivate him, and he's already eyeing the distinction of winning the most ATP titles, which is held by Jimmy Connors (109).

However, Djokovic has a long way to catch up with the overall record of the most weeks at No. 1, which is held by the Bryan Brothers, who were co-ranked at No. 1 for 438 weeks in doubles.

Mike Bryan has been ranked No. 1 for 506 weeks. Djokovic, therefore, will become the first player to crack the 400-week mark in singles.

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