ATP Tour

Sinner, Djokovic, Federer & more: Wimbledon champs as World No. 1

Winning Wimbledon is already a historic accomplishment. To lift the trophy as the World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings is a rare feat. Nine different players have accomplished it, including Jannik Sinner last year.

Sinner joined Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt and Carlos Alcaraz as the only players to win their first Wimbledon title while holding the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings. Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles throughout his storied career, claiming a record five titles as World No. 1, including his maiden triumph in 1993.

The 24-year-old Sinner now returns to the grass-court major looking to follow in Sampras’ footsteps, aiming to successfully defend his first Wimbledon crown while once again arriving as the World No. 1.

Roger Federer, a record eight-time Wimbledon champion, lifted four of his trophies (2004-07) as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. In 2006 and 2007, it was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown for the trophy between him and great rival Rafael Nadal. Federer won the 2007 final 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2, but Nadal would earn revenge in five sets the following year, dramatically spoiling the Swiss’ quest for another Wimbledon title while holding the top spot.

Seven-time titlist Novak Djokovic, who this year is making his 21st main-draw appearance at Wimbledon, has won the title as the World No. 1 three times (2015, 2019, 2021). Perhaps none was more memorable for the Serbian than his 2019 triumph, when he saved two championship points to escape Federer in the final, which featured a deciding-set tie-break at 12-12.

While Nadal escaped Federer in the aforementioned 2008 final, a four-hour, 48-minute classic, the Spaniard was unable to defend his title in 2009 due to a knee injury. But upon returning to Wimbledon in 2010, Nadal returned to the winners' circle, this time as the World No. 1.

Bjorn Borg in 1980 was the first player to triumph at Wimbledon while holding the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings. He did so in thrilling fashion, surviving John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(16), 8-6 in a match that fans still talk about more than four decades on.

In 1984, McEnroe raced to the Wimbledon trophy as the World No. 1. McEnroe downed Jimmy Connors in an 80-minute final, surrendering just three games across as many sets.

Hewitt and Alcaraz found early success at the grass-court major. In November 2001, Hewitt became the youngest World No. 1, a record that has since been passed by Alcaraz. Seven months after becoming World No. 1, the Australian.claimed his lone Wimbledon title.

In similar fashion, Alcaraz became World No. 1 in September 2022 and earned his first Wimbledon crown less than 10 months later while holding the top spot.