Novak Djokovic has very few achievements left to achieve to be considered the most successful tennis player of all time. Many already do so, based on his 24 Grand Slam titles, his advantage in history over the Swiss Roger Federer and the Spanish Rafael Nadal and his almost 400 weeks as world number one. But to add another grain of sand to that consideration, the Serbian achieved another unprecedented mark to place himself at the top of the pedestal: for the eighth time in his career he will end the season as number one, a record secured this Monday after the weekly update of the ranking by the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP).
His victory on Sunday against the Danish Holger Rune in the debut of the ATP Finals in Turin guaranteed him that privileged place above the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz (2nd), who needed to win the competition undefeated and for Djokovic to lose his three matches in the group stage to overcome it. With the victory of the Serbian and, furthermore, the subsequent fall of the Spanish, it will no longer be possible. With eight seasons at the top, the Balkan distanced himself from the American Pete Sampras, who six times ended the campaign year at the top of the rankings, above the five that Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors and Rafael Nadal did.
Djokovic, 36, improved his own record as the oldest player to finish a year as number 1, something he had managed to establish two seasons ago at 34. In addition, he will reach 400 weeks at the top of the rankings starting next Monday, a figure that will increase at least until the end of January, when the Australian Open is played.
Winner of six titles so far this season, Djokovic won three of the four majors and extended his record to 24 titles of that magnitude. This year he lifted the trophy at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open, while at Wimbledon he lost in the final to Alcaraz.
The top ten positions in the world tennis ranking are as follows: 1) Djokovic; 2) Alcaraz; 3) Daniil Medvedev (Russia); 4) Jannik Sinner (Italy); 5) Andrey Rublev (Russia); Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece); 7) Alexander Zvereve (Germany, +1); 8) Holger Rune (Denmark, +2); 9) Hubert Hurkacz (Poland, +2) and 10) Taylor Fritz (United States, -1).
As for the Argentinians, the season closed with five players placed in the top 100 of the classification, although none managed to stay in the Top 20. The list is made up of Francisco Cerúndolo (21st, -1), Sebastián Báez (28th , +1), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (30°), Pedro Cachín (72°, -4) and Federico Coria (89°, -1).
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