Six months into the 2018 ATP World Tour season and No. 1 in the ATP Rankings has changed on five occasions. Rafael Nadal began the year in the top spot – and has held the position for 17 weeks, over three stints in 2018 – with Roger Federer gained No. 1 for six weeks from 19 February and one week from 14 May. The Swiss wrestled No. 1 back today.
The five changes at No. 1 this season are the most since 2003, when there were also five. The all-time record for most changes is 10, which happened in 1983, when John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl battled for the top spot.
No. 1 Roger Federer, +1
The 36-year-old is back at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for a 310th week, which extends his own record, after capturing the 98th tour-level title of his career over Milos Raonic in the MercedesCup final. Today marks the sixth occasion he has risen to No. 1, having first attained the ranking on 2 February 2004. Federer guaranteed his return to the summit of men’s professional tennis on 15 June with a hard-fought 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Nick Kyrgios in the Stuttgart semi-finals. The Swiss has also won two other titles this season at the Australian Open (d. Cilic) and the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament (d. Dimitrov).
[ALSO LIKE]
No. 25 Richard Gasquet, +5
The talented Frenchman has returned to his highest ranking since 29 May 2017 (No. 25) with a five-place rise to No. 25 following a title run at the Libema Open. The 31-year-old beat compatriot Jeremy Chardy in the final for his 15th ATP World Tour crown (15-15), and his first since October 2016 at the European Open (d. Schwartzman). Gasquet also finished runner-up in February at the Open Sud de France (l. to Pouille).
View Latest ATP Rankings
No. 61 Jeremy Chardy, +11
The 31-year-old extended his grass-court form, which includes his sixth ATP Challenger Tour trophy at the Surbiton Trophy (d. de Minaur), with a run to the Libema Open title match (l. to Gasquet). Chardy, who was a career-high No. 25 on 28 January 2013, moved up 11 positions to No. 61, his highest ranking since 29 August 2016 (No. 55). The Frenchman has a 1-2 record in ATP World Tour finals and his run on Dutch grass, was his first tour-level championship match since Stuttgart in 2009.
No. 78 Alex de Minaur, +18
The Australian, who began the year at No. 208 in the ATP Rankings is now at a career-high No. 78. Over the past three weeks, the 19-year-old Australian has moved up from No. 105 after two ATP Challenger Tour final appearances in Surbiton and his first crown at the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham (d. Evans). De Minaur is also in the hunt to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November at No. 5 in the ATP Race To Milan.
Read: #NextGenATP First-Time Winner Interview
Other Notable Top 100 Movers This Week
No. 35 (Career High) Stefanos Tsitsipas, +2
No. 60 (Career High) Matthew Ebden, +9
No. 87 (Career High) Jaume Munar, +17.readfullarticle
