THE RANKINGS THAT CHANGED TENNIS

Bud Collins, the late walking-talking-tennis-compendium-in-neon-pants, once called the Pepperstone ATP Rankings “the pecking order of a peckish tribe, the standings that can mean the difference between high life and anonymous death”.

‘Anonymous death’ might be a tad strong, but Collins had a point: That ‘Number [fill in the blank]’ next to each of those hungry player’s names is often the determining factor between the qualifying rounds and direct main-draw entry, or an early matchup with the likes of Novak Djokovic and a less arduous route to the final. Those ranking points are critical.

Before 23 August 1973, it was the national federations and tournament directors who determined the entry and seeding criteria. Today, it’s a far more egalitarian affair. For both singles and doubles, a player’s ranking is based on results from 19 events (20 for singles, if they qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals) over a rotating 52-week cycle.

“It’s always one of the biggest goals to try to be No. 1,” said Djokovic, who has spent more weeks atop the ATP charts (389) than any other player in the annals of the sport.

We’ve witnessed some remarkable rankings milestones over the years: Djokovic holds the record for most overall year-end No. 1 finishes (seven), while Pete Sampras set the standard for most consecutive year-end No. 1 nods (six). The versatile John McEnroe finished as the year-end No. 1 in both singles and doubles from 1981 to 1983. Lleyton Hewitt became the lowest-ranked ATP Tour titlist (No. 550) when he won the Adelaide crown in 1998. Goran Ivanisevic jumped from No. 132 to No. 12 in 2001, the year he finally broke through at Wimbledon on People’s Monday. Rafael Nadal was a Top 10 player from 24 April 2005 until 20 March 2023, an unequalled 912 consecutive weeks.

The historic 2022 US Open final featured two men (Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud) vying not only for their first major trophy but for the top ranking. The title would go to the 19-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz, the youngest-ever year-end No. 1.