Starting his 419th week at the top of the world rankings today, the Serbian will surpass Roger Federer’s record by the end of the week to become the oldest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history. On Sunday, at the age of 36 years and 321 days, Djokovic will overtake the Swiss.Djokovic, one of the greatest athletes of all time, has proven near-unrivaled longevity at the pinnacle of his sport even as he enters his fourth decade of life. Since turning 30 on May 22, 2017, the Serbian has won 31 tour-level titles, including 12 of his 24 Grand Slams, 10 of his 40 ATP Masters 1000 victories, and two of his seven Nitto ATP Finals medals.
Deep into his mid-30s, Djokovic has remained one of the top athletes in the game thanks to his well-known dedication to hard work and professionalism in all facets of his preparation, training, and recovery. He has always practiced yoga and meditation to support his physical and mental well-being, in addition to his evident skill on the court. He also makes every effort to maintain a healthy diet.
The Serbian has often talked about how the rise of younger opponents has challenged him to reach new heights and how his continuous success has allowed him to regularly face off against the next generation of ATP Tour players.On July 4, 2011, Djokovic, then 24 years old, took the top spot in the world rankings. On the other hand, Djokovic’s formidable “Big 3” opponents, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both debuted at No. 1 at the age of 22. At the age of 19, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s most recent opponent for the top place, became the youngest No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings in September 2022.
Nonetheless, Djokovic has devoted a significant portion of his time to being at the top of the tennis world in the roughly 13 years since he initially rose to the top. He began his record-breaking 419th week as the world’s top seed on Monday, which puts him 109 weeks ahead of second-place Federer (310 weeks).
In order to become the World No. 1 tennis player with the most weeks of any gender, Djokovic beat Stefanie Graf’s record of 377 weeks in February 2023. Djokovic has established a new milestone that is sure to endure the test of time by becoming the oldest No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings.
