The ITF's Katrina Adams stays on the front lines for women with the Tory Burch Foundation Sports Fellowship

From Emma Raducanu becoming the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title to Daniil Medvedev breaking a 15-year stranglehold on the Top 2, and from Rafael Nadal surpassing 800 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 to Ons Jabeur becoming the first Arab tennis player to reach the Top 10, we’ve been counting down our Top 5 Stats of the Year throughout the week here on Baseline.

Today it’s time for our No. 1 Stat of the Year—and it’s quite literally about No. 1.

Novak Djokovic took ATP ranking records to a whole new level in 2021—not only did he break Roger Federer’s record for most career weeks at No. 1, he broke Pete Sampras’ record for most career year-end No. 1 finishes.

Djokovic, who in 2021 became the first man to win the first three majors of the year since 1969, the first full year of the Open Era—and who also became the first man to win every major twice in the Open Era— kicked off his 311th career week at No. 1 on March 8th, surpassing Federer’s record of 310, and recorded his seventh year-end No. 1 finish on November 22nd, surpassing Sampras’ record of six.

MOST CAREER WEEKS AT NO. 1 IN ATP RANKINGS HISTORY (since 1973)
352: Novak Djokovic (including this week)
310: Roger Federer
286: Pete Sampras
270: Ivan Lendl
268: Jimmy Connors

MOST YEAR-END NO. 1 FINISHES IN ATP RANKINGS HISTORY (since 1973)
7: Novak Djokovic (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021)
6: Pete Sampras (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
5: Rafael Nadal (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)
5: Roger Federer (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)
5: Jimmy Connors (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978)

No. 2 Stat of the Year: Tunisia's Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab tennis player, male or female, to reach Top 10

No. 3 Stat of the Year: Rafael Nadal surpasses 800 weeks in a row in the Top 10

No. 4 Stat of the Year: Daniil Medvedev breaks Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray’s 15-year stranglehold on Top 2

No. 5 Stat of the Year: Emma Raducanu becomes first qualifier in Open Era to win a Grand Slam title at US Open

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👏 Tying Roger & Rafa with 20 major titles
📈 Record for most weeks atop ATP rankings
🏆 Historic seventh year-end No. 1 finish

A groundbreaking 2021 by @djokernole! pic.twitter.com/tk9WeEsMVT
— TENNIS (@Tennis) December 18, 2021

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No. 1 Stat of the Year: Novak Djokovic breaks both Federer and Sampras' No. 1 records

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No. 1 Stat of the Year: Novak Djokovic breaks both Federer and Sampras' No. 1 records

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