Ranking Reaction: Jannik Sinner becomes first Italian player ever to finish a year in the Top 5
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic now has 100 more career weeks as ATP No. 1 than all other active players combined.
The ATP’s year-end rankings are out today and it’s official: Jannik Sinner is the first Italian player to finish a year in the Top 5—not just in ATP rankings history, but in ATP or WTA rankings history.
The 22-year-old had a breakthrough 2023 highlighted by four ATP titles—including his first Masters 1000 title in Canada—as well as his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, reaching the final of the ATP Finals and leading Italy to its first Davis Cup title since 1976.
He reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 on October 2nd, after winning Beijing, and has held onto that spot ever since.
Having finished 2021 at No. 10, Sinner was already one of seven Italian players to finish a season in the Top 10—now, he becomes the first Italian player to finish a season in the Top 5.
ITALIAN PLAYERS TO FINISH IN YEAR-END TOP 10 ON ATP OR WTA RANKINGS (since 1973 and 1975):
~ Adriano Panatta [No. 7 in 1976]
~ Corrado Barazzutti [No. 10 in 1978]
~ Francesca Schiavone [No. 7 in 2010]
~ Sara Errani [No. 6 in 2012, No. 7 in 2013]
~ Flavia Pennetta [No. 8 in 2015]
~ Matteo Berrettini [No. 8 in 2019, No. 10 in 2020, No. 7 in 2021]
~ Jannik Sinner [No. 10 in 2021, No. 4 in 2023]
Panatta (No. 4), Schiavone (No. 4) and Errani (No. 5) all reached the Top 5 at some point, but never finished a season in it.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic not only officially records his record-extending eighth year-end No. 1 finish—now two ahead of the next-most in ATP rankings history, Pete Sampras with six—but he also hits a pretty nifty stat in his overall career weeks at No. 1.
With 402, Djokovic now has 100 more career weeks at No. 1 on the ATP rankings than all other active players combined.
CAREER WEEKS AS ATP NO. 1 AMONG ACTIVE PLAYERS:
402: Novak Djokovic
209: Rafael Nadal
41: Andy Murray
36: Carlos Alcaraz
16: Daniil Medvedev
If you add Nadal’s 209, Murray’s 41, Alcaraz’s 36 and Medvedev’s 16 together, it totals 302—now a 100-week gap behind Djokovic.