Having won his 97th ATP World Tour title in Rotterdam on Sunday, Roger Federer became the oldest tennis player to reach world no. 1 since the introduction of the ATP Rankings in 1973. The Swiss maestro took the top spot from Rafael Nadal, nearly five years his junior, in the new rankings published on Monday.
Reclaiming the no. 1 spot more than five years after having lost it to Novak Djokovic in November 2012, Federer’s return to the tennis throne adds a couple more records to his name. Not only is he the oldest player to reach number 1 – Andre Agassi was 33 when he was last no. 1 in September 2003 – Federer is also the player with the longest period between two stints at no. 1 (5 years) and the player with the longest period between his no. 1 debut and his latest coronation (14 years). This week will mark his 303rd week at the top of the ATP Rankings, which is, you guessed it, also a record.
At 20 Grand Slam singles titles, Roger Federer also leads in that category, which leads us to one of the few records in male tennis he has yet to conquer. Having won 97 singles titles on tour, the Swiss trails Jimmy Connors by 12 wins. The American won 109 tournaments during his career, including 8 Grand Slam titles.
Roger Federer Crowned Oldest No. 1 in Tennis at Age 36
Professional Tennis
