18-08-2008, 12:15 PM
Spaniard Rafael Nadal ascended to the No. 1 position in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on Monday by replacing his great rival Roger Federer of Switzerland, who had held the top spot for a record 237 consecutive weeks (since February 2, 2004).
Photo Gallery: Nadalââ¬â¢s Rise To No. 1
Nadal, who had ranked No. 2 behind Federer for a record 160 consecutive weeks (since July 25, 2005), guaranteed himself the World No. 1 ranking after reaching the semifinals earlier this month at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati.
But Nadal celebrated his rise to No. 1 in perfect fashion yesterday, winning the Olympic singles gold medal in Beijing.
"Nowhere in my best dreams I can imagine something like what I did this year," Nadal said in Beijing Sunday. "I am playing an unbelievable season, no doubt. I have to be very happy for everything.
"The feeling for sure is very happy for being No. 1, but the feeling doesn't change too much because the last years I did very well too. It is a satisfaction... I want to enjoy these two days probably, but later I have to be focused on New York [for the US Open, which begins August 25]."
ATP Profile: Rafael Nadal | Former World No. 1s Pay Tribute
The last player to rank No. 1 before Federer's reign was American Andy Roddick, the week of January 26, 2004.
The Mallorca native is the 24th player in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973) to hold the No. 1 position in the official rankings in men's tennis. He joins countrymen Carlos Moya (1999) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003) to rank No. 1. Nadal is also the fifth left-hander to rank No. 1, the first since Chilean Marcelo Rios in 1998. Other left-handers to hold the top position are Austrian Thomas Muster (1996), and Americans John McEnroe (1980) and Jimmy Connors (1974).
ââ¬ÅRafa's rise to World No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings is fitting reward for his phenomenal run of results in a difficult tennis year,ââ¬Â said ATP Executive Chairman Etienne de Villiers. ââ¬ÅHis unbeaten run on clay and grass underlines Rafa's talent and the all round player he has become. It is no small feat to have ended Roger's record reign as the world's best player and now fans can look forward to both players continuing the most engrossing rivalry in world sport.ââ¬Â
The Spaniard has won an ATP-best eight titles and a 70-8 season record. He captured a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics (d. Gonzalez) on Sunday, which represented his 31st career title. He secured his 12th ATP Masters Series shield at the Rogers Cup in Toronto late last month. In July, the 22-year-old became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the Roland Garros and Wimbledon double after dethroning five-time champion Federer in a five-set epic at the All England Club.
ATP 2008 Match Record | ATP Rankings Breakdown
As a result Nadal is the frontrunner to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking at the elite Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai from November 9-16. Federer and Novak Djokovic of Serbia have also qualified for the circuit finale, which features the world's eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams. Official Tennis Masters Cup Web Site
By earning the No. 1 ranking, after seven years of hard graft since turning professional in 2001, the sportââ¬â¢s ultimate warrior has vindicated his decision to improve on all surfaces in order to surpass Federer ââ¬â one of the greatest players in tennis history.
Photo Gallery: Federer at No. 1
Ever since Pete Sampras brought the curtain down on his illustrious career with victory over Andre Agassi for the 2002 US Open title, menââ¬â¢s tennis had been searching for a new rivalry. By March 2005, sports fans worldwide watched as the foundations of another legendary series began.
The flame ignited when Nadal advanced to his maiden ATP Masters Series final at Miami. Federer would win in five sets, but Nadal earned the plaudits as a serious rival who was capable of one day breaking Federerââ¬â¢s monopoly of the ATP circuit.
The Rivalry: Federer vs Nadal | ATP Profile: Roger Federer
Nadal is generally considered to be one of the fittest players on the ATP circuit, basing his game on extreme intensity, passion and brute strength. His achievement of winning four successive Roland Garros titles makes him one of the greatest clay-court players of all time. He has broken a number of records during his career.
His journey to the summit of the menââ¬â¢s game began in April 2002, when he recorded his maiden ATP win over Ramon Delgado at his hometown event at Mallorca. At 15 years and 10 months, the World No. 762 was the ninth player in the Open Era to win an ATP match before his 16th birthday. First ATP Tournament: 2002 Mallorca Draw
One year later on April 21, 2003, he broke into the Top 100 at No. 96 after reaching the ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo third round (l. to Coria). He was forced to qualify for his second career ATP tournament and beat reigning Roland Garros champion and World No. 7 Albert Costa in the second round.
On his Wimbledon debut, he became the youngest player at 17 to reach the third round since 16-year-old Boris Becker in 1984. He went on to reach his first ATP quarterfinal at Bastad (l. to Lapentti) and then a first ATP semifinal at Umag (l. to Moya). As a result he received the ATP Newcomer of the Year award for 2003.
Nadal advanced to his maiden ATP final at Auckland (l. to Hrbaty) in January 2004 and eight months later he sunk his teeth into his first piece of ATP silverware when he clinched the Sopot singles crown (d. Acasuso). First ATP Title: 2004 Sopot Draw
Even a 27,000-strong crowd in Seville didnââ¬â¢t overwhelm Nadal, who at 18 years and six months became the youngest player to register a singles victory in a Davis Cup final for a winning nation. By beating World No. 2 Andy Roddick, he helped Spain clinch the 2004 title over the United States in a 3-2 win. He finished the season at No. 49 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.
The 2005 ATP season saw the left-handed Mallorcan win a teenage record 11 titles to break Mats Wilanderââ¬â¢s previous teenage record of nine in 1983. As a result he became the first teenager to finish No. 2 since Boris Becker in 1986, earned the highest year-end ranking ever by a Spaniard and the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Nadal became a Top 20 player for the first time on April 4, 2005. He competed the following week in Valencia, falling to eventual champion Andreev in the quarterfinals, but would not lose again on clay until May 2007 at ATP Masters Series Hamburg, when Federer ended his Open Era record 81-match clay-court winning streak. Match Report: Finally Federer! Roger Wrecks Rafa's Clay Court Streak
He sealed his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in May 2005 (d. Puerta), becoming the first player to win the French title on debut since Mats Wilander in 1982. He was also the first teenager at 19 years and two days to win a Grand Slam title since Pete Sampras captured the 1990 US Open and the first teenager to win at Roland Garros since 17-year-old Michael Chang in 1989.
Eight of his 11 titles that year were won on clay courts as he compiled an ATP-best 50-2 clay court record, finishing with 36 consecutive match wins on his favorite surface. It was the best clay record since Thomas Muster in 1995, when the Austrian went 65-2 and won 11 of 12 titles on red dirt.
In 2006, Nadal equaled Bjorn Borgââ¬â¢s tally of 16 ATP titles won as a teenager at ATP Masters Series Rome before he became the youngest back-to-back champion at Roland Garros since Borg in 1974-75. A month later he was the first Spanish man since Manuel Santana in 1966 to reach the Wimbledon final (l. to Federer). He went on to become the first player since Andre Agassi in 1994-95 to finish as the World No. 2 in back-to-back years.
The King of Clay won his third straight title at Roland Garros (d. Federer), and while he finished runner-up at a second Wimbledon final (l. to Federer) to finish at No. 2 for the third consecutive year, it wasnââ¬â¢t until the start of the 2008 ATP season, when Federer returned after a bout of mononucleosis, that an end to the Swiss superstarââ¬â¢s tenure at No. 1 came into focus.
Read 'Nadal: The Power And The Passion' in DEUCE Magazine
Nadal thumped Federer for his fourth successive Roland Garros title, followed it with the Queenââ¬â¢s Club crown ââ¬â becoming the first Spanish man to win a grass-court title since Andres Gimeno in 1972 ââ¬â and dealt Federer another killer blow in one of the greatest Wimbledon finals. Many experts considered it was only going to be a matter of time when there would be movement at the top of the menââ¬â¢s game.
Match Report: Rafa Races to Fourth Straight Roland Garros Crown
Match Report: Nadal Seals Wimbledon Historic Triumph
Nadal won 32 consecutive matches before falling to World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati semifinals earlier this month, but by then his position at No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings had been assured.
THE NUMBER ONES
Here is a list of the 24 players who have ranked No. 1 for the first time in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973):
Player (Country) Reached No. 1 Age Total Weeks
Rafael Nadal (ESP) Aug. 18, 2008 22 years, 2 months 1
Roger Federer (SUI) Feb. 2, 2004 22 years, 5 months 237
Andy Roddick (USA) Nov. 3, 2003 21 years, 2 months 13
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) Sept. 8, 2003 23 years, 6 months 8
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) Nov. 19, 2001 20 years, 8 months 80
Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) Dec. 4, 2000 24 years, 2 months 43
Marat Safin (RUS) Nov. 20, 2000 20 years, 9 months 9
Patrick Rafter (AUS) Jun. 26, 1999 26 years, 8 months 1
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) May 3, 1999 25 years, 2 months 6
Carlos Moya (ESP) Mar. 15, 1999 22 years, 6 months 2
Marcelo Rios (CHI) Mar. 30, 1998 22 years, 3 months 6
Thomas Muster (AUT) Feb. 12, 1996 28 years, 4 months 6
Andre Agassi (USA) Apr. 10, 1995 24 years, 11 months 101
Pete Sampras (USA) Apr. 12, 1993 21 years, 8 months 286
Jim Courier (USA) Feb. 10, 1992 21 years, 5 months 58
Boris Becker (GER) Jan. 28, 2001 23 years, 5 months 12
Stefan Edberg (SWE) Aug. 13, 1990 24 years, 9 months 72
Mats Wilander (SWE) Sept. 12, 1988 24 years, 1 month 20
Ivan Lendl (CZE) Feb. 28, 1983 22 years, 11 months 270
John McEnroe (USA) Mar. 3, 1980 21 years, 15 days 170
Bjorn Borg (SWE) Aug. 23, 1977 21 years, 2 months 109
Jimmy Connors (USA) Jul. 29, 1974 21 years, 11 months 268
John Newcombe (AUS) Jun. 3, 1974 30 years, 11 months 8
Ilie Nastase (ROM) Aug. 23, 1973 27 years, 1 month 40
COUNTRIES AT NO. 1
Nadal is the 24th player to hold No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) and he is the third male player from Spain to hold the top position. Here is a breakdown of the 12 countries at No. 1:
United States 6 (Connors, McEnroe, Courier, Sampras, Agassi, Roddick)
Australia 3 (Newcombe, Rafter, Hewitt)
Spain 3 (Moya, Ferrero, Nadal)
Sweden 3 (Borg, Wilander, Edberg)
Russia 2 (Kafelnikov, Safin)
Austria 1 (Muster)
Brazil 1 (Kuerten)
Chile 1 (Rios)
Czech Republic 1 (Lendl)
Germany 1 (Becker)
Romania 1 (Nastase)
Switzerland 1 (Federer)
ATP Legends section
Photo Gallery: Nadalââ¬â¢s Rise To No. 1
Nadal, who had ranked No. 2 behind Federer for a record 160 consecutive weeks (since July 25, 2005), guaranteed himself the World No. 1 ranking after reaching the semifinals earlier this month at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati.
But Nadal celebrated his rise to No. 1 in perfect fashion yesterday, winning the Olympic singles gold medal in Beijing.
"Nowhere in my best dreams I can imagine something like what I did this year," Nadal said in Beijing Sunday. "I am playing an unbelievable season, no doubt. I have to be very happy for everything.
"The feeling for sure is very happy for being No. 1, but the feeling doesn't change too much because the last years I did very well too. It is a satisfaction... I want to enjoy these two days probably, but later I have to be focused on New York [for the US Open, which begins August 25]."
ATP Profile: Rafael Nadal | Former World No. 1s Pay Tribute
The last player to rank No. 1 before Federer's reign was American Andy Roddick, the week of January 26, 2004.
The Mallorca native is the 24th player in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973) to hold the No. 1 position in the official rankings in men's tennis. He joins countrymen Carlos Moya (1999) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003) to rank No. 1. Nadal is also the fifth left-hander to rank No. 1, the first since Chilean Marcelo Rios in 1998. Other left-handers to hold the top position are Austrian Thomas Muster (1996), and Americans John McEnroe (1980) and Jimmy Connors (1974).
ââ¬ÅRafa's rise to World No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings is fitting reward for his phenomenal run of results in a difficult tennis year,ââ¬Â said ATP Executive Chairman Etienne de Villiers. ââ¬ÅHis unbeaten run on clay and grass underlines Rafa's talent and the all round player he has become. It is no small feat to have ended Roger's record reign as the world's best player and now fans can look forward to both players continuing the most engrossing rivalry in world sport.ââ¬Â
The Spaniard has won an ATP-best eight titles and a 70-8 season record. He captured a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics (d. Gonzalez) on Sunday, which represented his 31st career title. He secured his 12th ATP Masters Series shield at the Rogers Cup in Toronto late last month. In July, the 22-year-old became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the Roland Garros and Wimbledon double after dethroning five-time champion Federer in a five-set epic at the All England Club.
ATP 2008 Match Record | ATP Rankings Breakdown
As a result Nadal is the frontrunner to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking at the elite Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai from November 9-16. Federer and Novak Djokovic of Serbia have also qualified for the circuit finale, which features the world's eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams. Official Tennis Masters Cup Web Site
By earning the No. 1 ranking, after seven years of hard graft since turning professional in 2001, the sportââ¬â¢s ultimate warrior has vindicated his decision to improve on all surfaces in order to surpass Federer ââ¬â one of the greatest players in tennis history.
Photo Gallery: Federer at No. 1
Ever since Pete Sampras brought the curtain down on his illustrious career with victory over Andre Agassi for the 2002 US Open title, menââ¬â¢s tennis had been searching for a new rivalry. By March 2005, sports fans worldwide watched as the foundations of another legendary series began.
The flame ignited when Nadal advanced to his maiden ATP Masters Series final at Miami. Federer would win in five sets, but Nadal earned the plaudits as a serious rival who was capable of one day breaking Federerââ¬â¢s monopoly of the ATP circuit.
The Rivalry: Federer vs Nadal | ATP Profile: Roger Federer
Nadal is generally considered to be one of the fittest players on the ATP circuit, basing his game on extreme intensity, passion and brute strength. His achievement of winning four successive Roland Garros titles makes him one of the greatest clay-court players of all time. He has broken a number of records during his career.
His journey to the summit of the menââ¬â¢s game began in April 2002, when he recorded his maiden ATP win over Ramon Delgado at his hometown event at Mallorca. At 15 years and 10 months, the World No. 762 was the ninth player in the Open Era to win an ATP match before his 16th birthday. First ATP Tournament: 2002 Mallorca Draw
One year later on April 21, 2003, he broke into the Top 100 at No. 96 after reaching the ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo third round (l. to Coria). He was forced to qualify for his second career ATP tournament and beat reigning Roland Garros champion and World No. 7 Albert Costa in the second round.
On his Wimbledon debut, he became the youngest player at 17 to reach the third round since 16-year-old Boris Becker in 1984. He went on to reach his first ATP quarterfinal at Bastad (l. to Lapentti) and then a first ATP semifinal at Umag (l. to Moya). As a result he received the ATP Newcomer of the Year award for 2003.
Nadal advanced to his maiden ATP final at Auckland (l. to Hrbaty) in January 2004 and eight months later he sunk his teeth into his first piece of ATP silverware when he clinched the Sopot singles crown (d. Acasuso). First ATP Title: 2004 Sopot Draw
Even a 27,000-strong crowd in Seville didnââ¬â¢t overwhelm Nadal, who at 18 years and six months became the youngest player to register a singles victory in a Davis Cup final for a winning nation. By beating World No. 2 Andy Roddick, he helped Spain clinch the 2004 title over the United States in a 3-2 win. He finished the season at No. 49 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.
The 2005 ATP season saw the left-handed Mallorcan win a teenage record 11 titles to break Mats Wilanderââ¬â¢s previous teenage record of nine in 1983. As a result he became the first teenager to finish No. 2 since Boris Becker in 1986, earned the highest year-end ranking ever by a Spaniard and the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Nadal became a Top 20 player for the first time on April 4, 2005. He competed the following week in Valencia, falling to eventual champion Andreev in the quarterfinals, but would not lose again on clay until May 2007 at ATP Masters Series Hamburg, when Federer ended his Open Era record 81-match clay-court winning streak. Match Report: Finally Federer! Roger Wrecks Rafa's Clay Court Streak
He sealed his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in May 2005 (d. Puerta), becoming the first player to win the French title on debut since Mats Wilander in 1982. He was also the first teenager at 19 years and two days to win a Grand Slam title since Pete Sampras captured the 1990 US Open and the first teenager to win at Roland Garros since 17-year-old Michael Chang in 1989.
Eight of his 11 titles that year were won on clay courts as he compiled an ATP-best 50-2 clay court record, finishing with 36 consecutive match wins on his favorite surface. It was the best clay record since Thomas Muster in 1995, when the Austrian went 65-2 and won 11 of 12 titles on red dirt.
In 2006, Nadal equaled Bjorn Borgââ¬â¢s tally of 16 ATP titles won as a teenager at ATP Masters Series Rome before he became the youngest back-to-back champion at Roland Garros since Borg in 1974-75. A month later he was the first Spanish man since Manuel Santana in 1966 to reach the Wimbledon final (l. to Federer). He went on to become the first player since Andre Agassi in 1994-95 to finish as the World No. 2 in back-to-back years.
The King of Clay won his third straight title at Roland Garros (d. Federer), and while he finished runner-up at a second Wimbledon final (l. to Federer) to finish at No. 2 for the third consecutive year, it wasnââ¬â¢t until the start of the 2008 ATP season, when Federer returned after a bout of mononucleosis, that an end to the Swiss superstarââ¬â¢s tenure at No. 1 came into focus.
Read 'Nadal: The Power And The Passion' in DEUCE Magazine
Nadal thumped Federer for his fourth successive Roland Garros title, followed it with the Queenââ¬â¢s Club crown ââ¬â becoming the first Spanish man to win a grass-court title since Andres Gimeno in 1972 ââ¬â and dealt Federer another killer blow in one of the greatest Wimbledon finals. Many experts considered it was only going to be a matter of time when there would be movement at the top of the menââ¬â¢s game.
Match Report: Rafa Races to Fourth Straight Roland Garros Crown
Match Report: Nadal Seals Wimbledon Historic Triumph
Nadal won 32 consecutive matches before falling to World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati semifinals earlier this month, but by then his position at No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings had been assured.
THE NUMBER ONES
Here is a list of the 24 players who have ranked No. 1 for the first time in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973):
Player (Country) Reached No. 1 Age Total Weeks
Rafael Nadal (ESP) Aug. 18, 2008 22 years, 2 months 1
Roger Federer (SUI) Feb. 2, 2004 22 years, 5 months 237
Andy Roddick (USA) Nov. 3, 2003 21 years, 2 months 13
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) Sept. 8, 2003 23 years, 6 months 8
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) Nov. 19, 2001 20 years, 8 months 80
Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) Dec. 4, 2000 24 years, 2 months 43
Marat Safin (RUS) Nov. 20, 2000 20 years, 9 months 9
Patrick Rafter (AUS) Jun. 26, 1999 26 years, 8 months 1
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) May 3, 1999 25 years, 2 months 6
Carlos Moya (ESP) Mar. 15, 1999 22 years, 6 months 2
Marcelo Rios (CHI) Mar. 30, 1998 22 years, 3 months 6
Thomas Muster (AUT) Feb. 12, 1996 28 years, 4 months 6
Andre Agassi (USA) Apr. 10, 1995 24 years, 11 months 101
Pete Sampras (USA) Apr. 12, 1993 21 years, 8 months 286
Jim Courier (USA) Feb. 10, 1992 21 years, 5 months 58
Boris Becker (GER) Jan. 28, 2001 23 years, 5 months 12
Stefan Edberg (SWE) Aug. 13, 1990 24 years, 9 months 72
Mats Wilander (SWE) Sept. 12, 1988 24 years, 1 month 20
Ivan Lendl (CZE) Feb. 28, 1983 22 years, 11 months 270
John McEnroe (USA) Mar. 3, 1980 21 years, 15 days 170
Bjorn Borg (SWE) Aug. 23, 1977 21 years, 2 months 109
Jimmy Connors (USA) Jul. 29, 1974 21 years, 11 months 268
John Newcombe (AUS) Jun. 3, 1974 30 years, 11 months 8
Ilie Nastase (ROM) Aug. 23, 1973 27 years, 1 month 40
COUNTRIES AT NO. 1
Nadal is the 24th player to hold No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) and he is the third male player from Spain to hold the top position. Here is a breakdown of the 12 countries at No. 1:
United States 6 (Connors, McEnroe, Courier, Sampras, Agassi, Roddick)
Australia 3 (Newcombe, Rafter, Hewitt)
Spain 3 (Moya, Ferrero, Nadal)
Sweden 3 (Borg, Wilander, Edberg)
Russia 2 (Kafelnikov, Safin)
Austria 1 (Muster)
Brazil 1 (Kuerten)
Chile 1 (Rios)
Czech Republic 1 (Lendl)
Germany 1 (Becker)
Romania 1 (Nastase)
Switzerland 1 (Federer)
ATP Legends section
"Hij heeft misschien nog weinig tegenstand, maar dat is wat anders. En ook niet waar trouwens".
Mooi van Isner, maar nu wel erg jammer dat Russell niet mee doet. Maar wel gunstig voor Querrey. Jammer dat Anderson niet doordrukte, maar dat kan Zeballos mooi doen.
Stunt Wawrinka zou leuk zijn, maar niet als ie vervolgens verliest van Djokovic. Maar als die dan weer verliest van Berdych, maakt het niet uit. Dus vannacht is inderdaad cruciaal.
Mooi van Isner, maar nu wel erg jammer dat Russell niet mee doet. Maar wel gunstig voor Querrey. Jammer dat Anderson niet doordrukte, maar dat kan Zeballos mooi doen.
Stunt Wawrinka zou leuk zijn, maar niet als ie vervolgens verliest van Djokovic. Maar als die dan weer verliest van Berdych, maakt het niet uit. Dus vannacht is inderdaad cruciaal.