The youngest tennis players to be number 1 in the ATP

The last US Open was a roller coaster of surprises and emotions. Not only did a barely ranked Colombian eliminate the world number 3, but the world number 1 lost to the Australian Nick Kyrgios and Nadal was eliminated by the young American promise Frances Tiafoe.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that a young man of just 19 years old, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, was crowned champion, who defeated the Norwegian Casper Rudd to become number 1 in the world. Thus, he became the youngest player in history to win the US Open and to reach number 1 in the world in the ATP rankings.

This made us wonder, what other youngsters have managed to conquer the world of tennis at such a young age? Here we tell you about some of them.

Bjorn Borg – 21 years and 78 days

The Swedish “ice man” was crowned world number 1, a few weeks after winning his fourth Grand Slam. One of the best male tennis players in the history of the sport, Borg spent a total of 109 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. His calm, gentlemanly manner and exceptional stamina made him an unstoppable tennis machine of his time.

Andy Roddick (21 years and 65 days old)

One of the greatest promises of American tennis in the 2000s, Roddick reached the highest point of his career after winning the 2003 US Open. He would only be on top of the world for 13 weeks and since then, no American has managed to win. a men's singles major.

John McEnroe (21 years and 16 days old)

One of the legends of tennis, McEnroe became the highest ranked singles player in the world on March 3, 1980. He was the highest ranked player on 14 separate occasions between 1980 and 1985. He spent a total of 170 weeks at the top of the classification. The four-time US Open champion certainly delivered what was expected of him from a very young age.

Also read: The generational change of the US Open. Don't the usual ones win anymore?

Marat Safin – (20 years and 298 days)

Safin defeated Pete Sampras in 2000 to be crowned US Open champion and world number 1, where he remained for 9 weeks. Though he didn't have as spectacular a career as some of his contemporaries, he was also the 2005 Australian Open champion and the first Russian inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.

Lleyton Hewitt – (20 years and 268 days)

This Australian was recognized, until the last US Open, as the youngest player to be number 1 in the world, a feat he achieved by triumphing at the 2001 US Open. Hewitt is recognized for having won the Wimbledon Open in 2000. His streak of dominance as World No. 1 lasted nearly 80 weeks, earning him a spot in the Tennis Hall of Fame, which he entered in 2021.