Well, often hailed as one of the most prestigious milestones in tennis, the World No. 1 in ATP singles is nothing short of a dream for the majority of professional tennis players out there. The top-ranked tennis players often enjoy numerous perks, including favourable seedlings in tournaments, higher endorsement deals and enormous popularity in the world of professional tennis after being ranked in the ATP rankings.
Over the years, numerous legendary tennis players, including Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, have been ranked at the World No. 1 position in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). However, only a few of them have succeeded in creating history and remaining at the coveted World No. 1 position for the consecutive weeks.
In this article we will take a look at the top four male tennis players who have spent the highest number of weeks with the prestigious World No. 1 in ATP singles history.
Top 4 Male Tennis Players with Most Weeks as ATP World No. 1
| Rank | Player | Country | Weeks at No. 1 |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 428 weeks |
| 2 | Roger Federer | Switzerland | 310 weeks |
| 3 | Pete Sampras | United States | 286 weeks |
| 4 | Ivan Lendl | United States | 270 weeks |
Novak Djokovic, Serbia – 428 Weeks
The legendary Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic, is at the first spot in our list of the top four male tennis players who spent the most weeks ranked World No. 1 in ATP singles history. Throughout his glorious career so far, Novak Djokovic has clinched a record total of 24 major men’s singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles.
Additionally, overall, Novak Djokovic has captured 99 singles titles, including a record 72 Big Titles: 24 majors, a record 40 Masters, a record seven year-end championships, and an Olympic gold medal. As of April 2025, Novak Djokovic is the only professional tennis player to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam, and the only player to complete a Career Golden Masters. Novak Djokovic has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for a record highest total of 428 weeks.
Roger Federer – 310 Weeks
Next, at the second spot in our list of the top four male tennis players who have spent the highest number of weeks at the prestigious World No. 1 in ATP singles history, we have one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, the Swiss former professional tennis player, Roger Federer. Well, the Swiss tennis star, Roger Federer, won his first major singles title at Wimbledon in 2003 at the young age of twenty-one and never looked back.
Throughout his star-studded professional tennis career, Roger Federer has clinched a phenomenal 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. Owing to his ground-breaking exploits on different courts, Roger Federer was ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, placing him at the second spot in our list.
Pete Sampras – 286 Weeks
Often hailed as one of the most successful and dominant tennis players in the world, American former professional tennis player Pete Sampras is at the third spot in our list of the top four male tennis players who spent the most weeks ranked World No. 1 in ATP singles history. Throughout his glorious professional tennis career, Pete Sampras clinched a record total of 64 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including 14 men’s singles majors, which was an all-time record at the time of his retirement, including seven Wimbledon Championships, two Australian Opens and an Open Era joint-record five US Open editions.
Additionally, Pete Sampras was also a part of the winning United States Davis Cup squads in 1992 and 1995. The American tennis sensation, Pete Sampras, was ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 286 weeks, third-most of all-time.
Ivan Lendl – 270 Weeks
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four male tennis players who spent the most weeks ranked World No. 1 in ATP singles history, we have the Czech-American former professional tennis player and coach, Ivan Lendl, who started off with his professional tennis journey in 1978 and announced his official retirement in 1994.
Well, throughout his dominant professional career, Ivan Lendl clinched a phenomenal total of 94 career singles titles, including eight majors and seven year-end championships. Owing to his extremely successful exploits on the court, Ivan Lendl was ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 270 weeks, which is the fourth-most of all-time as of May 2025.
