Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer: Their First Tournaments as World Number One
Alexander Zverev claimed the world number one ranking on Monday, becoming the 30th player to hold this spot officially. He took the lead from Jannik Sinner after beating Tallon Griekspoor in the round of 16 at the Vienna Open last week. Now, Zverev prepares to face the Paris Masters for his debut tournament as the top-ranked player.
Looking Back at Tennis Legends' First Events as No. 1
Novak Djokovic's Breakthrough with a Canadian Open Victory
Djokovic earned the world number one rank by overtaking Rafael Nadal following his win against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2011 Wimbledon semi-finals. Reflecting on the achievement, Djokovic noted, "They don't give you many chances to become number one. I guess you need to lose only one match in seven months to get there." His momentum continued as he won his first Wimbledon title that year, defeating Nadal in the final.
Afterwards, Djokovic kept his winning streak going in Montreal, where he triumphed over Nikolay Davydenko, Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Mardy Fish to claim the Canadian Open title. This victory marked him as the first player to win five Masters 1000 events since the format changed in 2009. Djokovic described the win as "history-making" and felt honored to be part of tennis history.
Rafael Nadal's Journey Begins with a US Open Semi-Final
Rafael Nadal reached the world number one spot after securing gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he defeated Fernando Gonzalez in the final. This success pushed him ahead of Roger Federer in the rankings.
"That year [2008], Novak started to play so well. For me it was another tough rival, so I thought, well, I have been there [at the top level], but I didn't achieve the world number one. Now another great player is coming, so maybe I will never be No. 1," Nadal shared with ATP in 2025.
Nadal emphasized how important reaching number one was for him, believing he deserved it after maintaining a high level of play for nearly three and a half years. After taking the top spot, Nadal played at the US Open, where he beat Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish before falling to Andy Murray in four sets during the semi-finals.
Roger Federer's Debut as No. 1 Marked by a Grand Slam Win and Davis Cup Success
Roger Federer stepped into the world number one ranking after defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2004 Australian Open semi-finals. He went on to win the championship by beating Marat Safin in the final.
"I'm happy to have had a great start now to the season, and to finally be number one," Federer said at the time. "And it does make me feel really strange."
Following his Grand Slam victory, Federer represented Switzerland in the Davis Cup against Romania. He won matches against Victor Hanescu and Andrei Pavel, helping Switzerland secure a 3-2 triumph. Federer then competed in Rotterdam, defeating Arnaud Clement and Pavel before losing to British player Tim Henman.
