Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer: Their First Performances as World Number One
On Monday, Alexander Zverev became the 30th official world number one in tennis. He claimed the top position from Jannik Sinner by defeating Tallon Griekspoor in the Vienna Open round of 16 last week. Zverev is now preparing for his debut tournament as world number one at the Paris Masters.
Looking Back at the First Events of Tennis Legends as Number One
Novak Djokovic’s Rise with a Canadian Open Victory
Novak Djokovic took over the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal after winning against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2011 Wimbledon semi-finals. Djokovic remarked with a smile, "They don’t give you many chances to become number one. I guess you need to lose only one match in seven months to get there." Soon after, he secured his first Wimbledon title by beating Nadal in the final.
Djokovic extended his outstanding form to Montreal where he defeated Nikolay Davydenko, Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Mardy Fish to win the Canadian Open. This victory made him the first player to win five Masters 1000 titles since the format changed in 2009. Reflecting on the achievement, Djokovic said, "History-making, of course it’s special. It’s an honour and privilege to be part of the history of the sport that I love and play."
Rafael Nadal’s First Matches After Becoming Number One
Rafael Nadal reached world number one following his gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he defeated Fernando Gonzalez from Chile in the final. By achieving this, Nadal overtook Roger Federer for the top spot.
"That year [2008], Novak started playing very well. For me, it was another tough rival. I thought, well, I have been there at the top level but didn’t achieve world number one. Now another great player is coming, so maybe I will never be No. 1," Nadal said in 2025. "That’s why it was so important for me to reach that spot. I believe I deserved it after maintaining a very high level almost every week for three and a half years."
After becoming number one, Nadal played in the US Open, beating Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish to reach the semi-finals, where he lost in four sets to Andy Murray.
Roger Federer’s Debut as Number One and Davis Cup Contribution
Roger Federer first became world number one after beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2004 Australian Open semi-finals. Federer then won the tournament by defeating Marat Safin in the final. He commented, "I’m happy to have had a great start to the season and to finally be number one. It does make me feel really strange."
Shortly after, Federer represented Switzerland in their Davis Cup tie against Romania. He won matches against Victor Hanescu and Andrei Pavel, helping Switzerland secure a 3-2 victory.
Federer then competed in Rotterdam, where he defeated Arnaud Clement and Andrei Pavel before falling to British player Tim Henman.
