Fun with ranking streaks

[El Dude]

Rafa's ending top 10 streak got me thinking about other such feats. Below is a list of various ranking streaks - all consecutive within a range.

Top 20: Roger Federer (1062). #2 is Rafael Nadal with 915 and counting, so Roger's streak is +16.1%, but falling.
Top 10: Rafael Nadal (912). #2 is Jimmy Connors with 788, so Rafa's streak is +15.7%.
Top 5: Jimmy Connors (658). #2 is Ivan Lendl at 558, so Connors is +17.9%.
Top 3: Ivan Lendl (465). #2 is Roger Federer at 432, so Lendl is +7.6%.
Top 2: Roger Federer (346). #2 is Novak Djokovic at 325, so Roger is +6.5%.
#1: Roger Federer (237). #2 is Jimmy Connors at 160, so Roger is +48.1%.

All impressive records, but I often forget just how amazing Roger's record for consecutive weeks at #1 was - fully 48% longer than any other.

Oh, one cool one for the Rafa fans. While his best streak in the top 2 is 212 and 5th longest all-time, he also has the 6th longest streak (174) and 14th longest streak (104). Meaning, Rafa has three of 14 longest streaks in the top 14.

 

[Jelenafan]

I think the

Rafa's ending top 10 streak got me thinking about other such feats. Below is a list of various ranking streaks - all consecutive within a range.

Top 20: Roger Federer (1062). #2 is Rafael Nadal with 915 and counting, so Roger's streak is +16.1%, but falling.
Top 10: Rafael Nadal (912). #2 is Jimmy Connors with 788, so Rafa's streak is +15.7%.
Top 5: Jimmy Connors (658). #2 is Ivan Lendl at 558, so Connors is +17.9%.
Top 3: Ivan Lendl (465). #2 is Roger Federer at 432, so Lendl is +7.6%.
Top 2: Roger Federer (346). #2 is Novak Djokovic at 325, so Roger is +6.5%.
#1: Roger Federer (237). #2 is Jimmy Connors at 160, so Roger is +48.1%.

All impressive records, but I often forget just how amazing Roger's record for consecutive weeks at #1 was - fully 48% longer than any other.

Oh, one cool one for the Rafa fans. While his best streak in the top 2 is 212 and 5th longest all-time, he also has the 6th longest streak (174) and 14th longest streak (104). Meaning, Rafa has three of 14 longest streaks in the top 14.

I think the most impressive ratings streak of all is Pete Sampras 6 consecutive years YE ranked #1. Dont expect to see that repeated again in my lifetime.

 

[Moxie]

I think the most impressive ratings streak of all is Pete Sampras 6 consecutive years YE ranked #1. Dont expect to see that repeated again in my lifetime.

I agree this one is pretty unassailable, as is Roger's consecutive weeks at #1.

 

[Jelenafan]

If anyone has solid numbers to correct me be my guess:

With Carlos Alcaraz reaching #1 at age 19 and at the verge of claiming it once again, barring injury, it looks like he might be a staple of the ATP top 10 ranking for the next couple of years.

Pre-Nadal, Corretja , Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero were top 10 fixtures for the years circa 2000-2005, so I think Spain has had consistently someone in the top 10 since May 2000 or close to 24 consecutive years. So they may now ( or soon will be) the country with the second longest consecutive weeks with someone ranked in the top ten. At a glance Sweden had a top 10 player every week from the rise of Borg in 1974 through to sometime in 1998. Again we are talking non-interrupted consecutive weeks.

Of course the US since the inception of the ATP computer rankings back in the fall of 1973 had someone in the top ten until April 2011 ( Andy Roddick had dropped off & Mardy Fish entered that year) so close to 38 consecutive years, thus Carlos & Spain *only* need 14 more consecutive years to catch up. ; )

 

[El Dude]

Ooh, a challenge. Well, here's a chart courtesy of Ultimate Tennis Statistics that includes every Spaniard to reach the top 10, I believe (Feliciano never made it):

It is hard to read, but if you click on it it gets a bit larger. Looks like the last time there were no Spaniards in the top 10 when Moya and Corretja dropped out for a bit. I can do Sweden and the US, if you want.

 

[El Dude]

Here's Sweden:

It looks like Wilander fell out of the top 10 briefly in 1982, then it is straight until 1995 when Edberg fell out. So 74-82, then 82-95 - neither as long as 2000-23+.

 

[El Dude]

Finally, the USA, except I didn't do every top 10 player...wasn't necessary as there are guys like Mayotte and Martin whose careers were within those of higher ranked guys.

Nothing surprising here - lots of representation in the top 10 until Roddick falls out, and Isner wasn't consistently there.

On a side but related note, interesting to see that dip in the top 3 during the late 80s to early 90s, after Mac and Connors declined and before Courier's brief spell of dominance. Even if we count Lendl when he became a US citizen, it wasn't until 1992.

 

[El Dude]

So in short, in terms of consecutive years in which a player of a given nation was always present in the top 10:

US: 1968 (or 1973) to 2010 (38/43 years)
Sweden: 1973 to 82, 1982-95 (10, 14 years)
Spain: 2000 to 2023+ (24 years and counting)