The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic continued to set records on the ATP Tour as he began the week ranked 419th as World No.1. The Serbian icon is on the verge of making history this Sunday by becoming the oldest World No. 1 ever, surpassing Roger Federer’s record as the oldest No. 1 in ATP Rankings, when he will be 36 years and 321 days old.
Djokovic, one of the greatest players of all time, has proven near-unrivalled longevity at the pinnacle of his sport even as he enters his fourth decade. Since turning 30 on May 22, 2017, he 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 ATP Finals triumphs.
Djokvic’s hard work and professionalism in all aspects of his preparation, training, and recovery have kept him among the finest athletes in the game well into his mid-30s. To supplement his evident on-court skill, he has long done yoga and meditation to improve his physical and mental health, and he also does everything he can to maintain a healthy diet.
The Serbian has frequently discussed how the introduction of younger competition has pushed him to greater heights, and how his ongoing excellence has allowed him to compete with new generations of ATP Tour stars.
Djokovic initially achieved World No. 1 on July 4, 2011, at the age of 24. In contrast, both of Serbian’s major ‘Big 3’ competitors, Federer and Rafael Nadal, reached No. 1 for the first time at the age of 22.
Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s most recent competitor for the top place, became the youngest No. 1 in ATP Rankings history in September 2022, at the age of 19.
Nonetheless, in the roughly 13 years since he initially became World No. 1, Djokovic has spent a significant portion of his time atop tennis mountain. Monday marked the start of his record- extending 419th week as World No. 1, putting him 109 weeks ahead of second-placed Federer (310 weeks).