Tennis

Djokovic Breaks ‘Weeks at Number One’ Record – But How Far Can He Go?

At this point in his career, it’s just another day at the office when Novak Djokovic breaks some incredible records. And this time around, the record that he has broken relates to the weeks spent as the number one player in the world. However, since he is already far ahead of even Roger Federer in terms of weeks at number 1 on the ATP Tour, he’s had to start competing with the legends of the WTA Tour to break fresh records. So, exactly what is it that Novak Djokovic has achieved as of the most recent ATP rankings update?

Djokovic weeks at number 1

Well, the record he has broken is that he is now the player that has spent the most weeks as world number 1. This includes both male and female players, and the player that he has now surpassed is the great Steffi Graf. She was one of the most dominant female tennis players of her time, winning pretty much everything there was to win the sport, at the time. Yet now, Djokovic has once again established a record where he stands alone.

On that note, let me break down this achievement even further to give it some perspective.

Most Weeks as World Number One – Djokovic’s Incredible Record Explained

As of the most recent rankings update, which was released on February 27th, Novak Djokovic has now spent a total of 378 weeks as the top-ranked tennis player. Yet to clarify once again, the ‘record-breaking’ element enters the equation not because of the men’s game, but because of the all-time charts (both men and women). He has moved beyond Steffi Graf, who held the top spot for 377 weeks throughout the 80s and 90s – quite remarkable in itself.

Let me give you the specifics, however, just to show how impressive this is.

Comparison in the Men’s Game

As mentioned above, Novak Djokovic stands alone with this record at the moment. Yet when you compare this with the men’s records, the man who is in 2nd place for this particular record is Roger Federer. To give this some context, Federer was world number one for a total of 310 weeks, compared to Djokovic’s 378 (and counting).

Comparison in the Men’s and Women’s Game

If you expand the scope of this achievement a little further, things are all the more outstanding. Of course, he is now the number 1 for this record in both the men’s and women’s games. But when you look down through the top five, he is among some true legends of the game. In order from 2nd to 5th, it goes Steffi Graf (377), Martina Navratilova (332), Serena Williams (319), and Roger Federer (310). 

How Much Further Can He Extend This Record?

Now that he really is the top dog, in case he wasn’t already, the real question is how much further can he push this record? And in my opinion, it would not be a surprise if he went beyond 400 weeks as the world number one. However, he could even double the record of his long-term rival, Rafael Nadal, if he makes it 418 weeks as world number one. Now that would be special.


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