Novak Djokovic has returned to the top of the FedEx ATP Rankings for a fifth stint after replacing Rafael Nadal, who had overtaken him at No. 1 in November last year.
The Serbian who became the first man in the Open era to win Slams in three different decades captured a record-extending eighth Australian Open title which ended up being his 276th week at the Top.
Djokovic, who has now been World No. 1 during nine of the past 10 seasons (2011-16, 2018-20), will break Roger Federer’s record for most weeks at No. 1 (310 weeks) if he stays at the top until 5 October.
“That’s one of the two biggest goals, for sure. I mean, there is no secret in that,” said Djokovic, after winning in Melbourne.
Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said, “Novak has had a faultless start to the season, leading Serbia to victory at the ATP Cup and capturing a record eighth Australian Open crown. He has proven yet again that he is the man to beat and his record in Australia is second to none. Many congratulations to Novak and his team on such impressive start to the year and his deserved return to World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.”
Djokovic first ascended to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings aged 24 on 4 July 2011 for a total of 53 weeks until 8 July 2012. The Serbian returned to the top spot on three further occasions between 5 November 2012 and 6 October 2013 (48 weeks), from 7 July 2014 to 6 November 2016 (122 weeks) and from 5 November 2018 to 3 November 2019 (52 weeks).
The 32-year-old Djokovic is unbeaten in 2020 with a perfect 13-0 match record, which includes helping Team Serbia clinch the inaugural ATP Cup trophy. His Australian Open win takes Djokovic’s Grand Slam championship tally to 17 (third in the all-time list behind Federer on 20 and Nadal on 19) and gives him a strong lead in the year-to-date FedEx ATP Race To London.
Djokovic’s victory in Melbourne also meant that every Grand Slam title dating back to the beginning of the 2017 season continued to land in the hands of just three men: Federer, Rafael Nadal, and him.
