Berrettini puts Italy on brink of third successive Davis Cup final
Matteo Berrettini puts two-time defending champions Italy on the brink of a third consecutive Davis Cup final with victory over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon.
Matteo Berrettini puts two-time defending champions Italy on the brink of a third consecutive Davis Cup final with victory over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon.
The 2025 ATP Tour season ended with a statistical clarity rarely seen in the modern era: Only Jannik Sinner, 24, and Carlos Alcaraz, 22, held the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings at any point.
With both players under 25 and splitting the sport’s four majors between them, the season stands as a clear marker of a new phase in the ATP No. 1 Club. Their year-long control at the top places 2025 among the youngest dual-player No. 1 seasons in ATP history.
That distinction becomes clearer in the context of previous decades. Since the inception of the PIF ATP Rankings in 1973, only a small number of seasons have featured all No. 1s being under age 25, with 2025 entering alongside some of the sport’s most formative generational handovers.
ATP Tour seasons when all No. 1 players were under age 25 (since 1973)
| Year | Players (age) |
| 1975 | Connors (23) |
| 1976 | Connors (24) |
| 1980 | Borg (24), McEnroe (21) |
| 1984 | Lendl (21), McEnroe (24) |
| 1993 | Courier (23), Sampras (22) |
| 1994 | Sampras (23) |
| 1995 | Agassi (25), Sampras (24) |
| 2002 | Hewitt (21) |
| 2004 | Federer (23), Roddick (21) |
| 2005 | Federer (24) |
| 2025 | Sinner (24), Alcaraz (22) |
*Ages listed reflect the oldest age each player reached while holding the No. 1 spot during that season
What links these seasons is how sharply they highlight moments of transition — periods in which emerging champions took command of the sport earlier than expected. The 2025 season fits squarely in that lineage, echoing shifts like Bjorn Borg – John McEnroe in 1980 or the early Pete Sampras years in the 1990s.
The comparison with the Big Three era adds essential perspective. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic produced one of the most dramatic and competitive Lexus ATP Head2Head trilogies in tennis history, but their rivalry rarely intersected at No. 1 while they were still so young.
Federer holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 (237 between 2004-08), Nadal finally broke through in 2008 at age 22, and Djokovic took over in 2011 at 24 — but sustained, two-player battles for No. 1 between them did not arrive until largely after age 25.
That is what sets 2025 apart. Having two multi-major champions contesting the No. 1 spot throughout the same season at ages 22 and 24 is statistically rare and historically significant. The last time a pair this young shared control at the summit was over two decades ago in 2004, when 23-year-old Federer and 21-year-old Andy Roddick dominated.
Rivalries such as that of Sinner-Alcaraz have historically signalled pivotal shifts in the sport. Borg and McEnroe defined the early 1980s with intense battles that often decided the No. 1 ranking, while Andre Agassi and Sampras carried the torch in the 1990s with contrasting styles and personalities shaping multiple seasons at the top.
*Research for this story was provided by Jon Jeraj
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Austrian Dennis Novak announced his retirement from professional tennis this week. The 32-year-old, who reached a career-high No. 85 in 2020, shared the news on Instagram.
“Hi everybody, just wanted to let you know that my professional career [has] come to an end,” wrote Novak. “Reaching No. 85 in the world, playing 17 times in the Davis Cup for Austria and all Grand Slam main draws is more than I could ever dream of!! 🙏”
Novak reached two tour-level quarter-finals in his career and earned as many Top 20 victories. His best major result was a third-round run at Wimbledon in 2018. Looking ahead to his next chapter, Novak shared a message of sincere gratitude in his retirement post.
“Thanks to my parents and my family for giving me the chance to go after my dream of [being] a professional tennis player and for supporting me my whole life without any doubt!!! ❤️🫶🏼,” he added. “Thanks to all my coaches all over the years for your work with me and your trust!!
“Thanks to my girlfriend who had my back all over the years and never complained when I was gone for so many weeks! I love you ❤️
“I‘m truly grateful and thankful for everything I could experience on this journey and for all the people I got to know all over the years and made friends for life!!”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]View this post on Instagram
Britain’s Katie Boulter says she feels she has to “choose between my body and my ranking” as the scramble continues for a place in January’s Australian Open main draw.
An experienced Spain team dug deep to oust the young talents of Czechia in a thrilling Davis Cup quarter-final tie on Thursday afternoon in Bologna.
After Jakub Mensik and Jaume Munar had each earned singles wins for their respective countries to leave the last-eight encounter at 1-1, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez edged Tomas Machac and Mensik 7-6(8), 7-6(8) in an enthralling doubles rubber to seal victory for Spain.
Final 4 🔜
Granollers and Martinez win the tie for Team Spain, outlasting Machac/Mensik 7-6(8) 7-6(8) to reach the semi-finals! 🇪🇸@DavisCup | #DavisCup | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/WD3ZQwQ9gf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 20, 2025
The 39-year-old Granollers, a former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, and 28-year-old Martinez saved three set points in the first-set tie-break and two set points in the second-set tie-break for their decisive victory. It was finally sealed when #NextGenATP Mensik fired a double fault under pressure at 8/9 in the second-set tie-break, ensuring Spain advanced to a semi-final clash on Saturday against second seed Germany or Argentina.
The stage had been set for the doubles showdown after 20-year-old Mensik eased past Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-4 in the opening singles rubber, before Jaume Munar downed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4 to level the tie. A six-time Davis Cup champion, Spain is into the semi-finals for the first time since lifting its most recent title in 2019.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Spain brush aside the absence of Carlos Alcaraz to beat the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup quarter-finals and move one step closer to a first title in six years.
Nominees have been revealed today for the two player categories and Coach of the Year in the 2025 ATP Awards.
The past three winners of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award – Grigor Dimitrov (2024), Carlos Alcaraz (2023) and Casper Ruud (2022) – are once again up for the honour, with Felix Auger-Aliassime rounding out the list of nominees. Meanwhile, Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Valentin Vacherot will vie for the new Breakthrough of the Year award.
In the Coach of the Year category, the nominees are: Benjamin Balleret (Valentin Vacherot), Darren Cahill & Simone Vagnozzi (Jannik Sinner), Juan Carlos Ferrero & Samuel Lopez (Carlos Alcaraz), Frederic Fontang (Felix Auger-Aliassime) and Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton).
Nominees for Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award are determined by an International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) vote. Coach of the Year nominees are selected through first-round voting by ATP coach members.
For the first time, members of the exclusive ATP No. 1 Club – the 29 current and former players to have reached World No. 1 – will decide the winners of Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. The Coach of the Year winner is selected by fellow ATP coach members.
ATP Awards winners, including Fans’ Favourite, will be revealed during Awards week, starting 8 December. Fans can vote for their favourite singles player and doubles team through Friday, 21 November.
[ATP AWARDS]View the complete list of 2025 ATP Awards nominees:
Breakthrough of the Year
Breakthrough of the Year goes to the player who made the biggest breakthrough on the ATP Tour this season, with consideration given to milestone wins, significant jumps in the PIF ATP Rankings and first ATP Tour titles. Whilst there are no age restrictions, the award is aimed at Next Gen and young players.
Jack Draper
Joao Fonseca
Jakub Mensik
Valentin Vacherot
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award goes to the player who, throughout the year, conducted himself at the highest level of professionalism and integrity, who competed with his fellow players with the utmost spirit of fairness, and who promoted the game through his off-court activities.
Carlos Alcaraz
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Grigor Dimitrov
Casper Ruud
Coach of the Year
The Coach of the Year award goes to the coach who helped guide their player to a higher level of performance during the year.
Benjamin Balleret (Valentin Vacherot)
Darren Cahill & Simone Vagnozzi (Jannik Sinner)
Juan Carlos Ferrero & Samuel Lopez (Carlos Alcaraz)
Frederic Fontang (Felix Auger-Aliassime)
Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton)
Novak Djokovic ushered in a record-extending 400th week atop the PIF ATP Rankings in style in November 2023.
More than 12 years after he first rose to World No. 1, the Serbian downed Jannik Sinner to earn a record seventh title at the coveted Nitto ATP Finals. His reward for that Turin triumph was an unprecedented 400th week at World No. 1, beginning the following day, 20 November 2023.
“It’s a pretty good achievement, 400 weeks at No. 1. It’s never been done in history,” said Djokovic, who also clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for a record eighth time that week. “Someone will eventually break it, but hopefully it stays there for a long time.”
Djokovic’s journey to the milestone achievement began on 4 July 2011, when he became the 25th player to join the ATP No. 1 Club. At age 24, Djokovic downed rival Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final, claiming his first of seven triumphs at the All England Club. Djokovic had already secured his debut atop the PIF ATP Rankings by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals.
Spanning from December 2010 to Roland Garros in 2011, Djokovic enjoyed an impressive 43-match winning streak, only halted by Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the clay-court major. But Djokovic’s dominance was just taking flight. He tallied a standout 70-6 match record in 2011.
Djokovic has at times dominated the sport, collecting 101-tour level trophies and spending a record 428 weeks at No. 1. His 419th week as World No. 1 was historic: On 1 April 2024 — then 36 years and 321 days old — Djokovic surpassed Federer as the oldest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history.
The Belgrade native has lifted a record 24 major titles and 40 ATP Masters 1000 crowns. In 2018 in Cincinnati, Djokovic became the first player in Masters 1000 history to win all nine elite tournaments and complete the career Golden Masters. Two years later, at the same event, Djokovic completed his second career Golden Masters.
With 10 stints as World No. 1, Djokovic has claimed a 485-78 match record (86.1 per cent) while holding that position. His longest consecutive streak as World No. 1 was 122 weeks, from July 2014 to November 2016. On 27 February 2023, Djokovic secured the all-time record across men’s and women’s tennis, overtaking Stefanie Graf with his 378th week in the pole position.
Throughout his two-decade career, Djokovic has shattered records, redefined milestones and turned history into his own personal playground. When it comes to the ATP No. 1 Club, which features 29 players, Djokovic stands in a league of his own.
Learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club
[NEWSLETTER FORM]If Marat Safin’s career often appeared to be defined by fleeting moments of genius, the 2000 ATP Tour season was when it all consistently came together for the powerful right-hander.
Safin won seven of his 15 career tour-level titles from April to November of that year. Such a burst of prolonged success was somewhat unexpected from a 20-year-old who had started just his third full year on Tour poorly, yet Safin’s form proved so hot that he rose to become the 18th No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history on 20th November.
After beginning 2000 with 11 defeats in his first 16 matches, Safin headed to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell as the World No. 35. Six wins later, he was lifting his second ATP Tour title after a run which included victories against Top 10 stars Nicolas Lapentti and Magnus Norman and home favourite Juan Carlos Ferrero in the championship match.
Safin entered the Top 20 for the first time after lifting the trophy in Catalonia. Perhaps more importantly, the success also appeared to flick a switch in his head. He added another clay-court trophy to his collection one week later in Mallorca and then reached his second ATP Masters 1000 final in Hamburg, before lifting his maiden trophy at that level in Toronto in early August.
In New York in September, Safin dispatched Pete Sampras in straight sets with a stunning display to claim his maiden major crown at the US Open. Hard-court titles in Tashkent and St. Petersburg, and another Masters 1000 crown on indoor carpet in Paris, completed his 2000 title haul. From the start of Barcelona in April, Safin racked up a 68-16 record across the rest of the year.
Having risen to No. 2 after the US Open, it was the Paris triumph that proved the clincher for Safin in his pursuit of top spot. At 20 years and 10 months, he was at the time the youngest player to reach the top of the PIF ATP Rankings, although that record was soon beaten by Lleyton Hewitt (in 2001) and later by Carlos Alcaraz (2022).
Entering the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals (then the Tennis Masters Cup), Safin needed three match wins to guarantee he would finish as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF but lost to Sampras in the group stage and Agassi in the semi-finals, enabling Gustavo Kuerten to pip him to that honour. Despite the disappointing end, Safin’s charge to No. 1 remains one of the most remarkable mid-season turnarounds in ATP history, one that Safin later acknowledged perhaps even took himself by surprise.
“For me it was very strange in my experience reaching No. 1 and being No. 1,” Safin, who twice returned to top spot in 2001 and spent nine weeks there overall, told ATPTour.com. “I wasn’t ready for that because I couldn’t imagine just a few months earlier that I’d have the chance to become No. 1. I was Top 50, dropping, playing very badly. I underestimated myself… I didn’t believe in myself, and I was seeing myself weaker than others, which is unbelievable.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]It was a major milestone when Roger Federer learned of his election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Legends he heard from in the immediate aftermath made the moment even more special.
Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, fellow ATP No. 1 Club members who were among the Swiss’ idols growing up, joined Federer on a video call to share their congratulations.
“You really put tennis on a different map. Whenever you started winning, people that had nothing to do with tennis liked tennis. It was because of you,” Becker said. “So you’re not only one of the best players in tennis of all time, you’re the most important sportsman of all time.”
Edberg shared a special relationship with Federer, serving as his coach for two seasons.
“Congratulations [on] being part of the Tennis Hall of Fame. You really, really deserve it,” Edberg said. “You’ve had an incredible career and 20 Grand Slam titles tells it all.”
Other members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame also shared their well wishes with the 103-time tour-level titlist, including Billie Jean King and Martina Hingis, Federer’s countrywoman.
“You meant so much to so many of us,” King said. “You had such guts, such focus, such intensity. I could see how much it meant to you and just watching you brought out every aspect of your character.”
Hingis said: “Everything always looked so perfect and easy when you were on court. Many people don’t see all the sweat that is behind it, because you kind of make it look so easy.”
Federer will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame during the Induction Celebration in Newport from 27-29 August 2026.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]