Jannik Sinner is having one of the most impressive seasons in tennis history. The Italian star achieved significant success in 2024, with only six losses to his name, despite facing some off-court challenges in recent months. As the world number one, he clinched his seventh title this year at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, dropping just one set throughout the tournament. This victory marks his fourth Masters 1000 title and his third this season. In the final, he triumphed over tennis legend Novak Djokovic, denying him the chance to secure his 100th career title.
The two-time Grand Slam champion excelled, particularly in the first set tiebreak, where he delivered a few outstanding points that shook Djokovic’s confidence. The 37-year-old from Belgrade struggled in the second set, with a single break making a crucial difference for Jannik, who, like at the Australian Open earlier this year, did not allow his opponent any break point opportunities.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria is set to compete in the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia next week, leading into the final stretch of the season. His last three tournaments of 2024 will be the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy, the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Thanks to his outstanding performance this season, Sinner has already mathematically secured the top spot in the ATP rankings for the year.
The Italian tennis player, who has had a remarkable year winning both the Australian Open and the US Open, has secured his place at the top of the ATP rankings and cannot be surpassed by any competitor before the year’s end. This achievement makes him the nineteenth player in history to finish a calendar year ranked number one. Sinner, succeeding Djokovic, will receive his award at the ATP Finals in Turin.
But who are the other 18 players who have also ended a year atop the rankings? Let’s delve into the details.
This statistic dates back to 1973 when the official ATP rankings were introduced. That year, Ilie Nastase was the first to finish the season ranked number one. From 1974 to 1978, Jimmy Connors dominated by finishing as the top player for five consecutive years.
In 1979 and 1980, it was Bjorn Borg who ended the year as the top player. He was followed by John McEnroe, who achieved the number one ranking for four consecutive years from 1981 to 1984. Ivan Lendl then took over from 1985 to 1987, with Mats Wilander finishing at the top in 1988. Lendl reclaimed the spot in 1989, before Stefan Edberg held the ranking for two years in 1990 and 1991. Jim Courier was number one in 1992, paving the way for Pete Sampras’s impressive run from 1993 to 1998.
In 1999, Andre Agassi finished the year as number one, followed by Gustavo Kuerten in 2000. Lleyton Hewitt then dominated for two years in 2001 and 2002. Andy Roddick claimed the top spot in 2003 before Roger Federer embarked on a remarkable four-year streak from 2004 to 2007. Rafael Nadal took over in 2008, with Federer regaining the top spot in 2009. Nadal returned to number one in 2010, while Novak Djokovic held the title in 2011 and 2012, with Nadal again finishing on top in 2013. Djokovic captured the ranking in 2014 and 2015, followed by Andy Murray in 2016, Nadal in 2017, and Djokovic again in 2018. Nadal was number one in 2019, with Djokovic reclaiming the spot in both 2020 and 2021. Carlos Alcaraz finished the year as number one in 2022, and Djokovic held it again in 2023, before Jannik Sinner took the title in 2024.
In terms of total year-end number-one rankings, Djokovic leads with eight, followed by Sampras with six. Federer, Nadal, and Connors each have five, while Lendl and McEnroe have four. Borg, Edberg, and Hewitt each finished twice at the top. Lastly, Nastase, Wilander, Courier, Agassi, Kuerten, Roddick, Murray, Alcaraz, and now Sinner have all ended a year as number one once.
The Italian star delivered an impressive performance in the Shanghai Masters 1000 final. “It was a challenging match, as facing Novak is always one of the toughest tests we encounter,” the two-time Grand Slam champion remarked afterward. “I’m pleased with how I managed the situation. He was serving exceptionally well in the first set, and I struggled to find a way to break him. However, I played a strong tiebreak, which boosted my confidence and helped me start the second set on a positive note.
It’s hard to reveal a secret about Djokovic because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to seize the few opportunities he presents, but those are rare during a match. He’s a legend of our sport and extremely challenging to compete against, so I’m very pleased,” he added. Sinner and Djokovic might meet again in Saudi Arabia next week if the Italian star can overcome Russian Daniil Medvedev.