On Monday, February 20, 2023, Novak Djokovic continued to rewrite history by reaching an unbelievable tennis accomplishment.
He matched Steffi Graf with the most weeks as the World’s No. 1 player at 377.
377 weeks as World Number 1 ✨
Novak Djokovic ties today Steffi Graf with most number of weeks spent as Number one in the rankings.
▪️ Djokovic, Graf – 377
▪️ Navratilova – 332
▪️ Serena Williams – 319
▪️ Federer – 310 pic.twitter.com/br1wUQDz5f— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) February 20, 2023
Djokovic Is Among Elite Players
No one denies that Djokovic is one of the best to ever play the game.
Behind him and Graf are the following legends: Martina Navratilova who held the ranking for 332 weeks, Serena Williams at 319 weeks, and Roger Federer at 310 weeks.
There is no doubt that Djokovic will surpass Graf and be the sole holder of this record.
377 Weeks Is A Long Time
It takes a calculator to figure out the number of days and years this equates to.
This equals 2,639 days and 7 1/4 years.
Djokovic is only 35 years old.
Graf Does Not Get Enough Kudos For Her Amazing Career
Steffi Graf retired at 30 years of age and somewhat quickly and quietly in 1999.
She was ranked third in the world when she retired.
On this day in 1999, Steffi Graf retired.
🏆 22 Grand Slam titles
👑 377 weeks at No. 1
🥇 First tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam pic.twitter.com/bjmQsM3SMW— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 13, 2022
Graf remains the only player, male or female, to ever win the Golden Slam, a feat she accomplished in 1988.
She won all four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open.
On top of that, she won the Olympic gold medal in women’s singles tennis.
She retired at a relatively young age and could have added more Grand Slam titles to her resume had she played into her thirties.
Djokovic Is Tied For Graf In Another Area
Graf had 22 Grand Slam titles.
Both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are also tied with 22 Grand Slam titles.
The quest for number 23 in ’23 is one of the top headlines in men’s tennis.
Will Novak or Rafa get that 23rd and surpass the other and Graf?
Or will the younger generation start to take over?
Carlos Alcaraz is the 2022 U.S. Open Champion and is only 19 years old.
A Champion's Return 🔆
The moment @carlosalcaraz finished his week in Buenos Aires by winning the title! pic.twitter.com/6BNF80xJ5V
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 19, 2023
After missing the 2023 Australian Open with an injury, he rejoined the tour last week and won his first tournament back.
These are among the exciting storylines that await tennis fans as the 2023 season moves onto clay courts in the spring and grass courts this summer.
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