Tennis – ATP Finals – The O2, London, Britain – November 19, 2020 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his group stage match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Toby Melville
Rafael Nadal on Monday became the first player to be ranked in the ATP top 10 for 800 consecutive weeks, a run spanning more than 15 years.
The world number two broke Jimmy Connors’ previous record of 789 straight weeks in the top 10 in November.
The Spaniard first broke into the top 10 in April 2005, shortly before winning the first of his 13 French Open titles.
The 34-year-old is still over two-and-a-half years short of matching Roger Federer’s record of spending 931 weeks in total in the top 10.
There were no changes at the top of the rankings as players prepare for the Australian Open next month.
Some of the sport’s biggest stars were among those told they would get no “special treatment” on Monday, with 72 players stuck in hotel quarantine in Australia after four Covid-19 cases on the chartered planes which flew players to the country.
ATP top 20:
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,030 points
2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,850
3. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 9,125
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 8,470
5. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,630
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 5,940
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5,615
8. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 4,164
9. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 3,455
10. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 3,120
11. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,860
12. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,830
13. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 2,710
14. David Goffin (BEL) 2,600 (+2)
15. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2,580 (-1)
16. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 2,580 (-1)
17. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,420
18. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,365
19. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 2,260
20. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2,245