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From Ilie Nastase to Alexander Zverev: The Journey of ATP's World Number Ones
Amir Azimi
Daily News

From Ilie Nastase to Alexander Zverev: The Journey of ATP's World Number Ones

Alexander Zverev Poised to Claim First Ever World Number One Spot

Alexander Zverev, the German tennis star, is on the verge of reaching the world number one ranking for the first time in his career. This year, Zverev has already secured two Grand Slam titles and is set to finish the 2026 season at the top.

Currently competing at the Vienna Open, Zverev started strong by defeating Martin Landaluce in a tight three-set match. He only needs to advance to the quarter-finals to officially claim the number one spot.

A Look Back at the First Official World Number One: Ilie Nastase

The first ever officially recognized ATP world number one was Ilie Nastase, who took the top singles ranking on August 23, 1973. Nastase’s rise followed an impressive period where he won multiple Grand Slam titles, including the 1972 US Open and the 1973 French Open.

Besides those, Nastase also triumphed at the 1972 Tour Finals, defending his 1971 title successfully. He stayed at number one for 40 weeks before ceding the position to John Newcombe, a seven-time major champion.

Since 1973, Nastase ranks 17th in terms of total weeks spent as world number one, a feat shared with some of the sport’s legends.

World Number One Leaders and History

After Newcombe, 27 other players have earned the world number one title. With Zverev expected to claim the spot soon, he will become the 30th player to do so.

  • 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 (soon to be number one)

If Zverev reaches the top spot during the Vienna Open, he will hold the number one ranking for at least nine weeks, marking a new chapter in men’s tennis.

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