Generational Rivalry: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner evenly split four majors in back-to-back seasons

That’s after only playing 11 tournaments this year and without there being any ranking points at Wimbledon, where he won the 21st Grand Slam title of his career.

ByJohn Berkok

Published Nov 19, 2022

Highlight: N. Djokovic Def. T. Fritz; ATP Final Day 6

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Despite playing only 11 tournaments this year, which is tied for the fewest of anyone in the Top 50, and even without points from capturing his 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic has secured the 15th year-end Top 5 finish of his career.

With his 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) victory over Taylor Fritz in the semifinals of the ATP Finals on Saturday, and with Casper Ruud’s 6-2, 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev in the second semifinal of the day, Djokovic is guaranteed to finish the year ranked No. 5.

He’s just the third man since ATP rankings began in 1973 to record 15 or more year-end Top 5 finishes, alongside the usual suspects...

MOST TOP 5 YEAR-END FINISHES IN ATP RANKINGS HISTORY:

16: Roger Federer
16: Rafael Nadal [including No. 2 or No. 3 in 2022]
15: Novak Djokovic [including No. 5 in 2022]
14: Jimmy Connors
11: Ivan Lendl
10: Pete Sampras

Of Djokovic’s other 14 Top 5 finishes, seven have been at No. 1 (an all-time record), three more at No. 2 and four more at No. 3.

Since his first Top 5 finish in 2007, his only time not finishing a season in the elite came in 2017, when he didn’t play after Wimbledon due to an elbow injury and ended the year at No. 12.

DJOKOVIC’S YEAR-END ATP RANKINGS (2003-2022):

2003: No. 676
2004: No. 187
2005: No. 83
2006: No. 16
2007: No. 3
2008: No. 3
2009: No. 3
2010: No. 3
2011: No. 1
2012: No. 1
2013: No. 2
2014: No. 1
2015: No. 1
2016: No. 2
2017: No. 12
2018: No. 1
2019: No. 2
2020: No. 1
2021: No. 1
2022: No. 5

Who he plays for ❤️@DjokerNole #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/pUrM5TXg2J
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 19, 2022

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