Once a drought, now a dynasty: Alcaraz carrying Spanish tradition in ATP No. 1 Club

Pop quiz: Which country has added the most members to the ATP No. 1 Club in the past 26 years? It’s Spain, which may not have burst out of the gates when the PIF ATP Rankings were introduced in 1973, but has more than made up for lost time.

For the first 25 years of the PIF ATP Rankings, no Spanish man reached the coveted No. 1 spot. That all changed in 1999, when Carlos Moya broke new ground, and ever since, Spain has become a fixture at the top of the sport with Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz joining suit.

Following Nadal’s retirement last November, Alcaraz is now carrying the torch for his home country as the only active Spaniard in the ATP No. 1 Club. The 21-year-old will receive a hero’s welcome this week in his return to the capital city for the Mutua Madrid Open, where he has won the title two of the past three years.

Flashback to 2021 at this very event and Alcaraz was making his tournament debut as a wild card, ranked No. 120 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Murcia native won his opening match and earned a dream maiden clash against his lifelong idol Nadal.

It may have been a scoreline to forget for the-then 17-year-old Alcaraz, winning just three games, but the next year he would return as a Top 10 player and earn another crack at Nadal. Not only did Alcaraz avenge the previous year’s loss to Nadal, he followed that quarter-final win by downing World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semis and Alexander Zverev in the final.

Alcaraz warned the best players in the sport that he was coming for the top of the PIF ATP Rankings… and he was coming quickly.

Madrid marked one of Alcaraz’s five titles in a historic 2022 season. He lifted his first major crown at the US Open that September to become the youngest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history (19 years, four months).

“I never thought that I was going to achieve something like that at 19 years old. Everything came so fast," Alcaraz said at the time. "For me it's unbelievable. It's something I dreamed of since I was a kid.”

Alcaraz has spent a total of 36 weeks at No. 1, most recently holding pole position in August 2023. His 36 weeks ranks 17th on the all-time list among the 29 players in the ATP No. 1 Club. On that same list, Nadal’s 209 weeks is sixth most. The lefty first charged to No. 1 in August 2008, surpassing his great rival Roger Federer for tennis’ ultimate honour after spending three years at World No. 2.

Moya was the Spanish pioneer, ascending to No. 1 just before the turn of the century. A powerful baseliner with a booming forehand, Moya spent just two weeks at the top, but it was significant. He set the stage for his countrymen to reach similar heights.

Ferrero was the second Spaniard to reach the summit of the PIF ATP Rankings. Known as “El Mosquito” for his speed and finesse, Ferrero climbed to No. 1 in September 2003 and held an eight-week reign. During that span, Ferrero won the Madrid Masters, then played on indoor hard courts. Alcaraz was just four months old when his now-coach Ferrero reached No. 1.

Nadal, a relentless competitor and the undisputed ‘King of Clay’, set a standard of resilience, determination and sportsmanship. His influence continues to shape Spanish tennis, including Alcaraz, who partnered the legend at last year’s Paris Olympics.

“We’ll see at the end of my career, but if it’s half of what [Rafa has] done, I’ll be more than happy," Alcaraz said in November, following Nadal’s final match.

A 92-time tour-level titlist, Nadal earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours five times (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019) throughout his illustrious career. Alcaraz received that same honour in 2022.

There is another parallel between these four Spanish men besides all rising to World No. 1. Much like how Ferrero is guiding Alcaraz, Moya was a pivotal figure in Nadal’s career, coaching the lefty from 2017 until his retirement last November.

What began as a long wait for Spain’s first No. 1 player has transformed into a tradition, passed from one champion to the next. And they are, quite literally, helping each other in that journey.

Learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club