ATP World No.1 History: Every Player Ranked No.1 Since 1973

The ATP world No.1 ranking is the highest position a player can achieve in men’s professional tennis.

Since the rankings were first introduced by the Association of Tennis Professionals on 23 August 1973, a total of 29 different players have reached world No.1 in men’s singles.

The rankings are calculated using a rolling 52-week points system, where players earn points based on their results in tournaments such as the Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000 events, ATP 500 tournaments, and ATP 250 tournaments.

The first player to be ranked world No.1 was Ilie Năstase, while Novak Djokovic currently holds the record for the most weeks ranked No.1 in ATP history.

Below is the full list of every player who has reached the ATP world No.1 ranking since 1973.

List of ATP World No.1 Players (1973–Present)

First ATP World No.1

The first official ATP world No.1 was Ilie Năstase, who reached the top of the rankings on 23 August 1973 when the ATP introduced its computerized ranking system.

Before 1973, tennis rankings were largely determined by journalists and national federations rather than a unified points-based system.

Youngest ATP World No.1

The youngest player to reach world No.1 in ATP history is Lleyton Hewitt, who became No.1 in November 2001 at just 20 years and 8 months old.

Oldest ATP World No.1

The oldest player to hold the ATP No.1 ranking is Roger Federer, who returned to the top of the rankings in 2018 at the age of 36 years and 195 days.

The Big Three Era of ATP No.1

From the mid-2000s through the early 2020s, the world No.1 ranking was dominated by the three greatest players of the modern era:

• Roger Federer
• Rafael Nadal
• Novak Djokovic

Between them, the trio spent over 900 combined weeks ranked No.1, dominating men’s tennis for nearly two decades.

How the ATP Rankings Work

Players earn ranking points from their results in tournaments across the ATP Tour, including:

• Grand Slams (2,000 points to 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 toward their ranking total.

You can learn more in our guide to the ATP Rankings system.

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