Novak Djokovic captures year end Number 1 ranking for 6th year
Novak Djokovic of World No. 1 Serbia will end 2020 ranked number 1. He equaled former US tennis player Pete Sampras’s record of finishing the year 6 times as World No.1. After achieving his position, Djokovic said, he grew up watching the game of Sampras since childhood. ‘It is a matter of pride for me to match his record now. Because of which I came in this game, I have attained. ‘
Prior to this, Djokovic ended 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018 by being world number-1. At the same time, earlier this record was solely with Sampras. He finished World Number 1 6 times from 1993 to 1998. Djokovic and Sampras are followed by Roger Federer of Switzerland, Rafael Nadal of Spain and former American player Jimmy Connors. All three achieved this feat 5 times.
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said that ‘ending the year at number 1 is a big achievement. To achieve this, you have to play well throughout the season. Djokovic did it for the 6th year and equaled Pete’s record. this is wonderful. He has made his place in the pages of history.’
Djokovic can break Federer’s record
Djokovic has been number 1 for 294 weeks in total so far. He is second in this list after Federer. Federer held the record number one for 310 weeks. Pete Sampras is third with 286 weeks and Evan Lendl is fourth with 270 weeks. Djokovic would break Federer’s record if he remained at number 1 until March 8 of the following year (2021).
Djokovic won 5 titles this year
Djokovic took 5 titles to his name this year. It also includes 1 Grand Slam (Australian Open). He also won the ATP Cup, Dubai Open, Cincinnati Open and Rome Open. At the same time, he was disqualified from the US Open after hitting the line judge. While last month world number 2 Nadal defeated Djokovic in the final of the French Open.
Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slam titles
Djokovic of Serbia has won 17 Grand Slam titles so far. He has won 3 US Open, 8 Australian Open, 5 Wimbledon and 1 French Open and is third on the list behind Federer and Nadal who both have won 20 Grand Slams.
