ATP No. 1 Club: Stefan Edberg

Becoming the best in your craft takes more than pure talent. It demands relentless effort, unshakable mental and physical resilience, and the ability to adapt under pressure when everything is on the line.

One man who embodies those qualities is Stefan Edberg. The Swede is one of just 29 players to have climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, while he is one of only two, alongside John McEnroe, to have claimed No. 1 in both singles and doubles.

On August 13, 1990, just a day after claiming his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, Edberg ended Ivan Lendl’s dominant 80-week reign to seize the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. A proud member of the elite ATP No. 1 Club, Edberg recently reflected on the relentless work and dedication it took not just to reach the top, but to stay there.

"It requires a certain mentality. You need to go your own way,” Edberg said. “You need to be quite selfish. You need to have a lot of good people around you.  It's one thing getting there, that's hard enough, but it's almost harder to stay at the top. It's like being on top of the one mountain; it's very windy up there and you have to be extremely focused to stay up there.”

The Swede held the No. 1 ranking for 24 weeks in his first stint before it passed to longtime rival Boris Becker on 27 January 1991. The two swapped the top spot four times that year, but Edberg sealed his place atop the rankings on 9 September, the day after winning his first US Open title.

Edberg, who lifted six trophies in 1991, celebrated the end of the season by earning ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time, having also finished 1990 as the World No. 1.

“Looking back, it is quite an achievement actually to finish the year as No. 1 and to do it two years in a row, even better,” Edberg said. “But I was very, very close to making it three years in a row and I was quite disappointed towards the end because I really wanted that spot. But I think Courier got there ahead of me that time.”

Edberg was renowned for his elegant and aggressive serve-and-volley style, a hallmark of classic grass-court tennis. He built his game around a precise and well-placed serve, which he followed up with lightning-quick net approaches, exceptional volleying skills and graceful movement.

The Swede’s fluid footwork and one-handed backhand, particularly his deadly slice, allowed him to transition seamlessly from defence to attack, helping him win 41 tour-level singles titles, including six majors.

Edberg’s game caused problems for his biggest rival Becker. The Swede faced the German in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988 to 1990, winning in '88 and '90. Becker held a 25-10 Lexus ATP Head2Head series overall but those matches on Tour were ones Edberg relished.

“My biggest rivalry was with Boris Becker. Obviously playing three Wimbledon finals and that’s what people remember the most,” Edberg said. “But there was a little rivalry with Mats Wilander, being from the same country and pushing each other. And there was a little sort of rivalry with Courier at one stage as well and those are very important in tennis. If you go back in history, you can find a lot of rivalries and that makes it super exciting.”

Edberg held the World No. 1 ranking for a total of 72 weeks across five separate reigns, with his final stint ending in October 1992. Now, 19 years after retiring, the 18-time tour-level doubles champion reflects with pride on his achievements at the pinnacle of men’s tennis.

“Being No. 1 is something so special” Edberg said. “Just talking to your kids, telling them you have been the No. 1 tennis player in the world. It is quite an achievement for anyone in any sport to be No. 1, because there is only one.”

Learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club