ATP Tour

On This Day: Wilander rises to No. 1 after standout 1988 season

It took Mats Wilander a near-perfect season to finally reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. After clinching his third major title of 1988 at the US Open, the Swede knocked great rival Ivan Lendl off his 157-week reign at the top to make his No. 1 debut on September 12 of that year.

For much of the 1980s, Wilander had been a perennial contender, but despite the growing list of achievements, he had never reached the summit. That all changed after a standout year in which he scooped three Grand Slam titles.

The then-23-year-old was already a four-time major winner and the World No. 3 heading into the 1988 season, but Lendl remained firmly in control at the top. After a strong start to the year, however, highlighted by hard-court titles at the Australian Open and in Key Biscayne, Wilander moved within touching distance at No. 2.

Renowned for his versatility across all surfaces, Wilander then delivered a masterclass on the clay at Roland Garros, where he secured his sixth major crown. His momentum stalled with a quarter-final exit at Wimbledon, but he quickly regained form during the North American hard-court swing, which set the stage from a dramatic showdown in New York.

Both Wilander and Lendl entered the US Open that year in red-hot form, fresh from titles in Cincinnati and Toronto, respectively. Their Lexus ATP Head2Head had been split early on, but Lendl had taken control in recent years, winning each of their six encounters prior. Both made their ways through the draws before an eagerly anticipated final which doubled as a straight fight for the No. 1 spot. Wilander ultimately prevailed in a dramatic four-hour and 54-minute, five-set final which confirmed his rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time.

“I felt like I was the best player in the world during the year of 1988, but once I got labelled No. 1 with an actual ranking, I actually had a shocking four months... I guess I was just horrible at dealing with that pressure," Wilander told ATPTour.com in 2020.

Wilander held the No. 1 spot for 20 weeks, including his sole ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF finish in 1988. The Swede relinquished it back to Lendl in January 1989 after the American’s barnstorming run to his maiden Australian Open title. Wilander never quite reached the same heights in the years that followed and only claimed one further tour-level title (Itaparica, 1990) before his retirement in 1996.