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Ilie Nastase: The First Official ATP World Number One and His Legacy

Alexander Zverev, the German tennis star, is on the verge of becoming world number one for the first time in his career. After winning two Grand Slam titles this year, he is set to close out the 2026 season at the top of the rankings.

Zverev just needs to reach the quarter-finals at the Vienna Open to secure the top spot. He began his Vienna campaign with a hard-fought three-set win over Martin Landaluce. Winning just one more match will make history for the young German.

Looking Back at the First Official World Number One: Ilie Nastase

The first official ATP world number one was Ilie Nastase, who claimed the position on August 23, 1973. Nastase collected seven Grand Slam titles during his career across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events.

Nastase's rise to number one followed an outstanding year that included victories at the 1972 US Open and the 1973 French Open. He also won the 1972 Tour Finals, defending his title from the previous year.

The Romanian held the top ranking for 40 weeks before John Newcombe, a seven-time major winner, took over. Those 40 weeks rank as the 17th-longest reign at number one since the rankings began in 1973.

ATP Players Who Have Held the World Number One Spot

  • Novak Djokovic: 428 weeks
  • Roger Federer: 310 weeks
  • Pete Sampras: 286 weeks
  • Ivan Lendl: 270 weeks
  • Jimmy Connors: 268 weeks
  • Rafael Nadal: 209 weeks
  • John McEnroe: 170 weeks
  • Björn Borg: 109 weeks
  • Andre Agassi: 101 weeks
  • Jannik Sinner: 95 weeks
  • Lleyton Hewitt: 80 weeks
  • Stefan Edberg: 72 weeks
  • Carlos Alcaraz: 66 weeks
  • Jim Courier: 58 weeks
  • Gustavo Kuerten: 43 weeks
  • Andy Murray: 41 weeks
  • Ilie Năstase: 40 weeks
  • Mats Wilander: 20 weeks
  • Daniil Medvedev: 16 weeks
  • Andy Roddick: 13 weeks
  • Boris Becker: 12 weeks
  • Marat Safin: 9 weeks
  • John Newcombe: 8 weeks
  • Thomas Muster: 6 weeks
  • Carlos Moyá: 2 weeks
  • Patrick Rafter: 1 week
  • Alexander Zverev: 0 weeks (set to become number one)

If Zverev takes the number one spot in Vienna, he is expected to hold it for at least nine weeks. He will become the 30th man to reach the pinnacle of men's tennis rankings.

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