The glorious history of tennis has witnessed numerous legendary veteran tennis players who have achieved significant milestones in their professional careers and have been ranked at the World No. 1 position in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). While the professional tennis circuit is becoming intensely competitive year by year, it’s often hailed as one of the most distinguished feats for tennis players to maintain their ATP rankings of World No. 1 in men’s singles. Some of the most popular and prominent tennis players, including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and many others, have defied the odds of age and have made history after clinching the prestigious men’s singles title and being ranked as World No.1 in the ATP rankings.
In this article we will take a look at the top four oldest tennis players who have achieved the ATP World No. 1 ranking in men’s singles.
Top 4 Oldest Tennis Players to Achieve ATP World No. 1 Ranking in Men’s Singles
Novak Djokovic – 36 Years, 222 Days
The 38-year-old legendary Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic, is at the first spot in our list of the top four tennis players who have defied the odds of age and has been ranked at the World No.1 position in men’s singles by the ATP. The iconic tennis sensation, Novak Djokovic has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for a record 428 weeks across a record thirteen different years.
Often hailed as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Novak Djokovic has successfully clinched a streak of unbelievable feats in his glorious career, including 100 singles titles, including a record 72 Big Titles: a record 24 majors, a record 40 Masters, a record seven year-end championships, and an Olympic gold medal. As of July 2025, Novak Djokovic has established himself as the oldest player to be ranked at the World No. 1 position by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in men’s singles.
Roger Federer – 36 Years 320 Days
At the second spot in our list of the top four oldest tennis players who have achieved the ATP World No. 1 ranking in men’s singles we have the legendary Swiss former professional tennis player Roger Federer, who was ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks. In his star-studded professional tennis career, Roger Federer clinched a record total of 103 singles titles on the ATP Tour, the second most since the start of the Open Era in 1968, including 20 major men’s singles titles, speaking volumes about his unwavering dominance on the court.
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Well, till 7 April 2024,Roger Federer held the World No.1 ranking in men’s singles until it was surpassed by the Serbian tennis sensation Novak Djokovic. At the age of 36 years and 320 days, Roger established himself as the oldest ATP World No. 1 in history at the time, breaking a 45-year-old record previously held by Andre Agassi.
Rafael Nadal – 33 Years 245 Days
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four tennis players who have defied the odds of age and have been ranked at the World No.1 position in men’s singles by the ATP, we have the iconic Spanish former professional tennis player Rafael Nadal, who is still popularly hailed as one of the most prominent and influential tennis players of all-time. Often popularly referred to as “Rafa” by tennis aficionados from all over the world, Rafael Nadal clinched a total of 92 ATP Tour-level singles titles throughout his professional tennis career, including 22 major titles (among which a record 14 French Open titles), as well as 36 Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Additionally, as of July 2024, Rafael Nadal continues to be the only professional tennis player in the world to complete the career Golden Slam in singles. Nadal achieved the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in 2008 after defeating Federer in an historic Wimbledon final, his first major championship off clay.
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Andre Agassi – 33 Years 100 Days
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four oldest tennis players who have achieved the ATP World No. 1 ranking in men’s singles, we have the American former professional tennis player Andre Agassi, who was ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 101 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in 1999. The American tennis sensation, Andre Agassi, clinched a record total of 60 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including eight majors, completing the Career Grand Slam.
Often regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, Andre Agassi established himself as the first-ever male tennis player to successfully clinch all four singles majors across three different surfaces (hard, clay and grass) and continues to be the most recent American man to win the French Open in 1999 and the Australian Open in 2003.
