Novak Djokovic finishes the season as world number one again (Antonio Calanni/AP)
He has 177 weeks as number one in his 30s, more than any male player and trailing only Williams’ 196 overall. Nadal is next on that list with just 68 weeks.
Djokovic is the oldest world number one, male or female, other than Federer. The Swiss star’s final day at the top was June 24, 2018, when he was 36 years and 320 days old – should Djokovic top the rankings on or after April 6 next year, he will also claim that record.
Alcaraz challenge
The ATP number one ranking changed hands seven times this year as Carlos Alcaraz emerged as a serious rival to Djokovic.
The 20-year-old Spaniard beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final to deny him a calendar-year Grand Slam and enjoyed four separate spells at number one.
As 2022 year-end number one, Alcaraz held that spot until January 29. He enjoyed another two-week spell in March and April, three from May 22 to June 11 before surrendering top spot to Djokovic for a fortnight, then another 11 weeks from June 26 to September 10 before Djokovic took over for the remainder of the year.
It is the most lead changes since 1999 when Sampras had four spells and Andre Agassi two, with one each for Carlos Moya, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Pat Rafter making for eight lead changes.
The ATP record is 10 lead changes in 1983, with John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl battling for top spot. The WTA Tour has never had more than seven lead changes in a single year, hitting that mark in 1995, 2002 and 2017.
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