The ATP World Tour today published the 2018 year-end ATP Rankings on ATPWorldTour.com after an exciting season of milestones and breakthroughs. The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer finished in the Top 3 ATP Rankings for the seventh time (2007-11, 2014, 2018), the first since 2014. All three players ranked No. 1 at one stage during the year and it was the first time all three ranked No. 1 during the same season.
There were five changes in the year-end Top 10 from the previous season for the second year in a row, including first-timers No. 6 Kevin Anderson and No. 10 John Isner, both former U.S. collegiate standouts. The last time at least two former college players finished in the Top 10 was in 1989 when John McEnroe, Brad Gilbert and Jay Berger accomplished the feat. Other players returning to the Top 10 were World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who was No. 12 at the end of 2017, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro, who equaled his year-end best from 2013, the last time he was in the Top 10, and No. 9 Kei Nishikori, who jumped from No. 22 last year.
For the first time in ATP Rankings history (since 1973), players from five different regions of the world were represented in the Top 10. Six players from Europe and one each from Africa, Asia, North and South America comprised the Top 10. It was also the second time in three years there were 10 different countries represented in the year-end Top 10.
The Top 10 of 2018
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) – No. 1 for fifth time (2011-12, 2014-15, ’18) and oldest (31) year-end No. 1, continuing 15 years of ‘Big 4’ dominance at the top of ATP Rankings (2004-18)
2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) – Finishes in Top 10 for 14th straight year, second-best (w/Federer) all-time behind Jimmy Connors (16). Also 10th time in year-end Top 2, second only behind Federer (11)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) – Oldest (37) to finish No. 3 and record 14th time in year-end Top 3 (five times at No. 1, six times at No. 2, three times at No. 3)
4. Alexander Zverev (GER) – Youngest (21) to finish in Top 4 back-to-back seasons since Djokovic in 2007-08 and first German to finish in Top 4 since Boris Becker in 1994-95
5. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) – Finishes in Top 10 for first time since 2013 and equals his career year-end best of 2009 and 2013
6. Kevin Anderson (RSA) – Finishes as highest-ranked African in history of ATP Rankings and first South African to finish in Top 10 since No. 10 Wayne Ferreira in 1996
7. Marin Cilic (CRO) – Fourth Top 10 finish in five years and reached a career-high No. 3 on Jan. 29
8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) – Third straight year in Top 10 and joins countryman Thomas Muster as only Austrian to finish in Top 10 at least three years
9. Kei Nishikori (JPN) – Finishes in Top 10 for first time since 2015 and third time overall (2014-15)
10. John Isner (USA) – Oldest American (33) first-time finisher in Top 10 and No. 1 American for sixth time in seven years
View Full 2018 Year-End ATP Rankings
2018 Year-End ATP Rankings Quick Facts
* There were seven changes at No. 1 during the season, the most since eight changes in 1999. Djokovic, Nadal and Federer all ranked No. 1 at one time during the season. The last time at least three players ranked No. 1 during the season was in 2003 when Andre Agassi, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick reached the top spot.
* The United States led all countries with 11 players in the Top 100, the most since 2003, followed by Spain with 10 and France with nine. France had the most players in the Top 50 with six.
* This is the tallest Top 10 in the history of the ATP Rankings with Isner (6’10”) and Anderson (6’8”) leading the way. They are the two tallest players to finish in the Top 10. Overall, there were five players at least 6’6” in the Top 10 with Zverev, Del Potro and Cilic all at 6’6”.
* While there were a record seven players 30 & over to finish in the Top 10, there were five players 23 & younger to finish with year-end best rankings between No. 11-20. That was the most since 2006. The group was led by No. 11 Karen Khachanov (22), No. 12 Borna Coric (22), No. 14 Kyle Edmund (23), No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas (20) and No. 16 Daniil Medvedev (22). Tsitsipas, who was the Next Gen ATP Finals champion and ATP Most Improved Player of the Year, was the youngest player in the Top 20. He jumped from No. 91 last year and he was the first Greek man to finish in the Top 20.
* Djokovic, who ended 2017 at No. 12, became the first player in the history of the ATP Rankings to finish No. 1 after ranking outside the Top 10 the previous season. In June he was ranked as low as No. 22 before making the second half of the season surge by winning four titles in six finals.
* Federer, who was 36 at the time, became the oldest player to rank No. 1, when he took the top spot on Feb. 19. He ranked No. 1 on three occasions for eight weeks overall. He broke the record of Andre Agassi (33), who was the previous oldest No. 1 in 2003. The 37-year-old Federer finished as the oldest player in the Top 100. There were 33 players 30 & over in the year-end Top 10, down from last year’s record of 43.
* No 1 Australian Alex de Minaur made the biggest jump (177 spots) in the Top 50 from No. 208 at the end of 2017 to a year-end ranking of No. 31. The 19-year-old from Sydney was the ATP Newcomer of the Year. Overall the four Aussies in the year-end Top 50 are the most since 2000.
* #NextGenATP teenager Denis Shapovalov finished a year-end best No. 27, the youngest of two teenagers in the year-end Top 100 along with De Minaur. Overall 11 #NextGenATP players (21 & under) finished in the Top 100 year-end rankings, the most since 12 in 2008.
* #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert, 20, made the biggest improvement (290 spots) in the Top 100, climbing from No. 374 last year to No. 84. Christian Garin, 22, of Chile, also moved from outside the Top 300 to break the Top 100, jumping 220 spots from No. 305 to No. 85. Garin made the second-biggest leap.
* Spaniard Pablo Andujar made the biggest improvement (1,619 spots) in the Top 100 from last year, climbing from No. 1,701 to No. 82. #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert, 20, and Chilean Christian Garin, 22, were other players to jump from outside the Top 300 into the year-end Top 100. Humbert improved 290 spots from No. 374 last year to No. 84. Garin jumped 220 spots from No. 305 to No. 85.
* Italians No. 13 Fabio Fognini and No. 20 Marco Cecchinato finished with career year-end best ATP Rankings. It also marked the first time since 1973 two Italians appeared in the year-end Top 20. The Russian duo of No. 11 Karen Khachanov and No. 16 Daniil Medvedev also finished with year-end best rankings. It marked the first time two Russians were in the year-end Top 20 since 2009.
* Overall there were 38 countries represented in the year-end Top 100 singles rankings (40 in 2017).
* American Mike Bryan, at 40, finished as the oldest No. 1 in the history of the ATP Doubles Rankings (since 1976). Oliver Marach of Austria and Mate Pavic of Croatia finished No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings in their second season together.
* Three players finished in the Top 50 of both singles and doubles: Nicolas Jarry (No. 43 singles, No. 50 doubles), Joao Sousa (No. 44 singles, No. 45 doubles) and Robin Haase (No. 50 singles, No. 38 doubles).
* The 2019 ATP World Tour season begins Monday 31 December in Brisbane, Doha and Pune.
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