Who Is the No. 1 Tennis Player in the World?

The answer may surprise you. We take a look at the current top-ranked men’s and women’s tennis players to see who is really No. 1.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles, five ATP Finals titles, six Masters 1000 titles, and has held the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a total of 233 weeks.

His early life

Novak Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His parents, Srdjan and Dijana, owned a pizza parlor and encouraged all three of their children—Novak, Marko, and Djordje—to play tennis. Djokovic began hitting balls with his older brother when he was four years old. When he was six, he started taking tennis lessons at a local club. Two years later, he began training with Jelena Gencic, a well-known Serbian coach who had previously worked with Monica Seles.

Gencic recognized Djokovic’s potential and helped him hone his skills. She also instilled in him a love of the game and a strong work ethic. “She told me that if I wanted to be a great tennis player, I had to understand that nobody is going to give me anything for free,” Djokovic later recalled. “I had to fight for it and really dedicate myself 100 percent to this sport.”

Djokovic took Gencic’s advice to heart. In 1997, at the age of 10, he signed a sponsorship deal with Head and became the company’s youngest athlete ever. The following year, he won his first international title at a junior tournament in Budapest.

His professional career

Novak Djokovic has been a professional tennis player since he was sixteen years old. He has won seventeen Grand Slam singles titles, thirty-six Masters 1000 series titles, and fourteen ATP World Tour Finals. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the ATP.

His achievements

Djokovic has won 69 ATP singles titles, including a record seven grand slam singles titles. He is the only player to have won all nine of the Masters 1000 tournaments, and he is one of only four players to have won a Grand Slam singles title on each playing surface (hard court, grass court, and clay court). He has also won an ATP Finals title and was a runner-up at the Davis Cup.

Djokovic has reached 16 Grand Slam finals, tied with Rafael Nadal for second most by a male player since the Open Era began in 1968 (Roger Federer leads with 30). As of June 2019, he holds the record for the most ATP Masters1000 titles (36), ahead of Nadal (34) and Federer (28). He also occupies second spot on the Open Era list for consecutive weeks ranked at No. 1 by the ATP, behind only Roger Federer (247).

In majors, Djokovic has finished as runner-up six times (three times at Australian Open, once each at Wimbledon and US Open), most recently at Wimbledon in 2018. Of these six losses, three have been to Nadal (twice at Wimbledon) and three to Federer: in 2007 US Open semifinals, 2010 Wimbledon final and 2012 Australian Open final. At Wimbledon and Melbourne Park, Djokovic is one win shy of becoming the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is the No. 1 tennis player in the world. He is a Spanish professional tennis player. Nadal has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most in history for a male player, as well as 39 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, 20 ATP Tour 500 titles, and the Olympic gold medal in singles.

His early life

Rafael Nadal was born in Mallorca, Spain, to Sebastian Nadal, a businessman who owned an insurance company, and Maria Parera, a housewife. He has a younger sister named Maria Isabel. Growing up, Nadal enjoyed other sports such as football and racing bicycles, but his uncle Toni, who was also his coach, persuaded him to focus on tennis. At the age of eight, Nadal won his first tennis tournament at a local club in Mallorca.

Nadal’s success on the junior tennis circuit came quickly. He won the Orange Bowl in 2001 (for players under 18 years old), and he turned professional that year. In 2002, at the age of 16, he became the youngest man ever to play in the Davis Cup (a prestigious international team tennis event).

His professional career

Rafael Nadal has been a professional tennis player since he was 15 years old. He has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most in history for a male player, as well as four Olympic gold medals and two Davis Cups. Nadal has held the No. 1 ranking in the world for a total of 209 weeks, which is fourth all-time for men’s singles players.

Nadal turned pro at age 15, and his first year on tour (2002) was remarkably successful: he reached the third round of Wimbledon and won two Challenger events to finish the year ranked No. 46 in the world. The following year, Nadal won his first ATP title at clay-court event in Valencia and also reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, where he lost to Roger Federer in five sets. He ended 2003 ranked No. 6 in the world, becoming the youngest player ever to finish a season inside the Top 10.

During his career, Rafael Nadal has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles—the second most of any male player in history—as well as four Olympic gold medals and two Davis Cups.

His achievements

Rafael Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player ranked world No. 1 in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the second most in history for a male player, as well as 35 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, 20 ATP Tour 500 titles, and an Olympic gold medal. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Nadal has won 81 ATP singles titles, including 11 French Open men’s singles titles, four US Open men’s singles titles, three Wimbledon men’s singles titles, and two Australian Open men’s singles titles. In addition, he has held the ATP world No. 1 rankings for 209 total weeks and was ranked world No. 1 on the ATP Rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks from 2005 to July 2011.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 3 in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles—the most in history for a male player—and has held the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a record 310 weeks.

His early life

Federer was born on August 8, 1981, in Basel, Switzerland, the son of Swiss national roaster Robert Federer and South African airhostess Lynette Durand. He has one sister, Diana, who is four years younger.
He holds both Swiss and South African citizenship. His mother is of Dutch descent. Federer was raised as a Roman Catholic and met Pope Benedict XVI while playing the 2006 Internazionali BNL d’Italia tournament in Rome. Like all male Swiss citizens, Federer was subject to compulsory military service in the Swiss Armed Forces. However, in 2003 he was deemed “unsuitable” and was not required to fulfil his national service obligation. He grew up supporting FC Basel.

His professional career

Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 3 in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in history for a male tennis player, and has held the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a record 310 weeks.

Federer turned professional in 1998 and was continuously ranked in the top ten from October 2002 to November 2016. He plays an all-court game and is known for his exceptional serve, which he used to great effect to win his first Wimbledon singles title in 2003. Since 2008, Federer has been more successful on faster surfaces such as hard courts and grass courts; he has won five of his nine Wimbledon singles titles on grass. His record of 16 consecutive wins at Wimbledon from 2003 to 2008 is also a record at any Grand Slam tournament.

In majors, Federer has won a record eight Wimbledon titles (tied with Pete Sampras), six Australian Open titles (tied with Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic), five US Open titles (tied with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras), and one French Open title (tied with Laver, Nadal, Djokovic, Pancho Gonzales, and Tony Wilding). He is one of eight men to have achieved a Career Grand Slam. Federer has reached a record 30 men’s singles Grand Slam finals, including 10 consecutively from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships to the 2007 US Open Championships. Federer has also won a record six ATP Finals titles, 28 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, and an Olympic gold medal in doubles.

His achievements

Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 3 in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles—the most in history for a male player—and has held the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for 302 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks. After turning professional in 1998, he was continuously ranked in the top ten from October 2002 to November 2016. He re-entered the top ten following his victory at the 2017 Australian Open. In majors, Federer has won a record eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Open titles, five US Open titles (all consecutively from 2004 to 2008), and one French Open title (2009). Federer is one of eight men to have achieved a Career Grand Slam. He has reached a record 31 men’s singles Grand Slam finals, including 10 consecutively from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships to the 2007 US Open. Federer has also won more Masters 1000 tournaments than any other male player with 28 titles, and held the No. 1 spot in the ATP for longer than any other man except Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.