Jannik Sinner Becomes 5th Man In ATP History To Achieve Unique Rankings Feat

Jannik Sinner's dominance of the ATP No. 1 ranking over the last 12 months means he will become the fifth man to manage an outstanding rankings accomplishment.

Sinner became No. 1 for the first time after the 2024 French Open, overtaking Novak Djokovic. The Italian was rewarded for an excellent start to the season that included winning a maiden Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open.

Further great results have allowed Sinner to retain his position at the summit. He won the 2024 US Open and 2025 Australian Open, as well as the 2024 ATP Finals on home soil in front of a passionate home crowd in Turin.

Sinner built such a formidable lead at No. 1 that his ongoing suspension since February 9th until May 4th was not enough for any of his rivals to overtake him, although Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz could have if they had seized the opportunity better.

Instead, Sinner is guaranteed to remain No. 1 until after the 2025 French Open, regardless of other results until then. That will take him to 52 consecutive weeks in his first spell at the top, a rare achievement in ATP history.

Only four other men were No. 1 for longer after reaching the position for the first time. Roger Federer's 237 weeks was the longest opening spell ever, and it is a record that may never be surpassed.

Federer became No. 1 for the first time on February 2nd, 2004. The Swiss maestro dominated tennis for the next few years, with only Rafael Nadal consistently denying him success during that time at the French Open.

Nadal finally ended Federer's reign at the top on August 18th, 2008, having ended his rival's streak of five consecutive Wimbledon titles the previous month in one of the greatest matches ever played.

Jimmy Connors is No. 2 on the list with a monumental 160 weeks. He was one of the most consistent players of the 1970s and 1980s, as evidenced by his ability to stay at the top for a long time amidst intense competition.

Lleyton Hewitt is No. 3 with 75 weeks. The Australian enjoyed most of his success as a young player, winning the 2001 US Open as a 20-year-old and the 2002 Wimbledon Championships as a 21-year-old. Federer's emergence and injuries led to his decline.

The final man on the list is Novak Djokovic with 53 weeks. His first of several spells at No. 1 began on July 4th, 2011. He holds the record for most weeks at the top, with a sensational total of 428 weeks.

Sinner will only need one more week when he hits 52 after the French Open to match Djokovic, or two more to surpass the tennis legend. At the moment, he seems likely to achieve it, but the results in the next few weeks will determine that.

The three-time Grand Slam champion's return to tennis is scheduled for next month's 2025 Italian Open in Rome. His comeback occurring on home soil in front of supportive fans is something Sinner is probably relieved about.