Roger Federer Sets ATP Ranking Record

Roger Federer returns to the ATP circuit this week at the Dubai Tennis Championships after capturing his 10th career Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month.

Upon his return, Federer finds himself as the new record holder for most consecutive weeks (161) at No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since August 1973), breaking the almost 30-year record of Jimmy Connors, who held the top spot for 160 straight weeks from July 29, 1974 to Aug. 22, 1977.

Federer, who also takes a career-best 36-match winning streak into Dubai, has been the ATP No. 1 ranked player every week since Feb. 2, 2004 after capturing his second career Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. During his No. 1 reign, the 25-year-old Swiss superstar has accumulated a 247-15 match record (.943) with 34 titles in 49 tournaments. Prior to becoming No. 1, Federer had a career mark of 243-110 with 12 titles between 1998-January 2004.

The only player he has lost to more than once while No. 1 is rival Rafael Nadal, who has won six of their nine meetings.

Weeks at No. 1 Comparison
Here is a look at how both players have performed during their streaks at No. 1:
                                     Federer                         Connors
No. 1 Streak                161 (Feb.2,04-current)  160 (Jul. 29, '74-Aug. 22, '77)
Tourn. Played               49                                  61
Titles (Grand Slam)      34 (8)                             30 (2)
Finals (Grand Slam)     5 (1)                               16 94)
W-L Record               247-15                           252-26 *
* Five W/O not included as loss, one final not played due to weather

Federer                    Connors  
Year  W-L  Titles     Year  W-L  Titles
2004  67-6  10        1974  38-2  5
2005  81-4  11        1975  82-8  9
2006  92-5  12        1976  91-8  12
2007  7-0  1            1977  41-8  4

Consecutive Weeks at No. 1  Span
Roger Federer      161  Feb. 2, 2004-present
Jimmy Connors     160  July 29, 1974-Aug. 22, 1977
Ivan Lendl            157  Sept. 9, 1985-Sept. 11, 1988
Pete Sampras       102  Apr. 15, 1996-Mar. 29, 1998

Total Weeks at No. 1
Pete Sampras  286
Ivan Lendl  270
Jimmy Connors  268
John McEnroe  170
Roger Federer  161
Bjorn Borg  109
Andre Agassi  101

Federer's Longest Winning Streaks at No. 1
No.  Span
36  Aug. 30, 2006-current
35  June 6-Nov. 20, 2005
26  Aug. 30, 2004-Jan. 28, 2005
25  Feb. 14-Apr. 15, 2005
23  Jun. 7, 2004-Aug. 3, 2004

Federer Says: “Jimmy was one of the all-time great players. He played for such a long time. To stay fit through all that time with such intensity is quite remarkable. We know players today who are intense – Hewitt and Nadal. Can you imagine them playing until 40 years old? It’s almost impossible. But Jimmy did that.

“This is definitely something that will stay for quite sometime. I’ll definitely keep it [the record] for three years [laughing] It’s very hard to beat. It’s not something you do overnight. It’s a long, hardworking process.”

“I never came close to losing it [the No. 1 ranking], except maybe when I played Roddick in the 2004 Wimbledon final. If he had won there, he would have had the momentum, and he would have gotten close in the rankings. But I didn’t lose. I’ve always had a great run. It’s quite an amazing streak I’m on right now.

“I remember when my game was still up in the air. On any given day, I could play very well. But on my off days, I would be very vulnerable. My baseline game was ok, but not as consistent as I was hoping for. That’s what I’ve been able to improve. Fitness-wise as well, I had problems. I was always hoping not to go five sets, whereas now I don’t mind it. So I’ve really come a long way.” (ATP)