Roger Federer extends his dominance on the ultimate Top 3 list
Despite not playing on the level he had produced in 2017, the 37-year-old Roger Federer has completed another great season, winning four titles and improving his Grand Slam tally to 20 and also becoming the oldest number 1 player in the history of the ATP ranking. For the first time since 2012 and the ninth overall, Federer has spent the entire season in the Top 3 and he is by far the oldest year-end Top 3 player, four years older than Jimmy Connors when the American finished inside the Top 3 in 1984. In addition, Roger will become the first player in the history of the ATP ranking with 700 weeks in the Top 3 when the new ranking list comes out on Monday, with no other player reaching the 600-week mark.
Jimmy Connors, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Ivan Lendl are the only other players with at least 500 weeks in that group and Rafael and Novak will have to work hard in the next couple of seasons if they want to repeat this amazing achievement from the Swiss. This was the 14th season for Federer in the year-end Top 3, leaving Connors on 12 and with Nadal and Djokovic keeping the pace with 11 finishes in the Top 3. Ever since his first year-end Top 3 finish in 2003, Roger had 10 consecutive seasons inside that group before missing the cut in 2013 to end his run and staying behind Connors who had 12 consecutive year-end Top 3 finishes between 1973-1984.
Federer bounced back in 2014 and 2015 when he was able to battle against the younger rivals again and complete both years in the Top 3 as the oldest player in the Open era who has achieved that. Federer was forced to miss the second part of 2016 due to a knee injury, dropping out from the Top 10 and returning into the Top 3 after winning the last year's Wimbledon, staying there ever since and counting to 700 weeks in the Top 3. Over the course of the last 15 years, Roger has grabbed almost every important Top 3 record and he is eager for more in 2019, despite the fact he will probably have to leave that group after the Australian Open, standing just 35 points ahead of Alexander Zverev who has to defend only 90 points in Melbourne compared to 2000 that will be removed from the Roger's tally.
Players with the most weeks in the Top 3:
699 - Roger Federer 592 - Jimmy Connors 537 - Rafael Nadal 506 - Novak Djokovic 500 - Ivan Lendl
Players with the most year-end Top 3 seasons:
14 - Roger Federer (2003-2012, 2014-2015, 2017-2018) 12 - Jimmy Connors (1973-1984) 11 - Novak Djokovic (2007-2016, 2018) 11 - Rafael Nadal (2005-2011, 2013-2014, 2017-2018) 10 - Ivan Lendl (1981-1990)
Players with the most consecutive year-end Top 3 seasons:
12 - Jimmy Connors (1973-1984) 10 - Roger Federer (2003 -2012) 10 - Ivan Lendl (1981-1990) 10 - Novak Djokovic (2007-2016)
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2zFcndq
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