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August 18, 2008 14:35 IST
Rafael Nadal [Images] clinched a golden treble to wrap up the Olympic [Images] tennis tournament on Sunday, overcoming Chilean Fernando Gonzalez to add the Games men's singles title to his French Open and Wimbledon [Images] crowns. The unstoppable Spaniard won 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to mark his impending rise to the top of the world rankings with his country's first ever Olympic gold medal in tennis. - Perfectionist Nadal still not satisfied Nadal takes over from Roger Federer, who held the No 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks from February 2, 2004, after winning his first Australian Open title, until August 17, 2008. - Legends laud the new No 1 Nadal is the 24th player to hold No. 1 in the history of the rankings (since August 23, 1973). He becomes the seventh active player to rank No. 1 in his career. Here is a list of the 24 players who have ranked No. 1 for the first time in the history of the rankings (since 1973): The number ones Player (Country) | Reached No. 1 | Age | Total Weeks | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | Aug. 18, 2008 | 22 years, 2 months | 1 | Roger Federer [Images] (SUI) | Feb. 2, 2004 | 22 years, 5 months | 237 | Andy Roddick [Images] (USA) | Nov. 3, 2003 | 21 years, 2 months | 13 | Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) | Sept. 8, 2003 | 23 years, 6 months | 8 | Lleyton Hewitt [Images] (AUS) | Nov. 19, 2001 | 20 years, 8 months | 80 | Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) | Dec. 4, 2000 | 24 years, 2 months | 43 | Marat Safin [Images] (RUS) | Nov. 20, 2000 | 20 years, 9 months | 9 | Patrick Rafter (AUS) | July 26, 1999 | 26 years, 8 months | 1 | Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) | May 3, 1999 | 25 years, 2 months | 6 | Carlos Moya [Images] (ESP) | Mar. 15, 1999 | 22 years, 6 months | 2 | Marcelo Rios (CHI) | Mar. 30, 1998 | 22 years, 3 months | 6 | Thomas Muster (AUT) | Feb. 12, 1996 | 28 years, 4 months | 6 | Andre Agassi [Images] (USA) | Apr. 10, 1995 | 24 years, 11 months | 101 | Pete Sampras (USA) | Apr. 12, 1993 | 21 years, 8 months | 286 | Jim Courier (USA) | Feb. 10, 1992 | 21 years, 5 months | 58 | Boris Becker (GER) | Jan. 28, 1991 | 23 years, 5 months | 12 | Stefan Edberg (SWE) | Aug. 13, 1990 | 24 years, 9 months | 72 | Mats Wilander (SWE) | Sept. 12, 1988 | 24 years, 1 month | 20 | Ivan Lendl (CZE) | Feb. 28, 1983 | 22 years, 11 months | 270 | John McEnroe (USA) | Mar. 3, 1980 | 21 years, 15 days | 170 | Bjorn Borg (SWE) | Aug. 23, 1977 | 21 years, 2 months | 109 | Jimmy Connors (USA) | July 29, 1974 | 21 years, 11 months | 268 | John Newcombe (AUS) | June 3, 1974 | 30 years, 11 days | 8 | Ilie Nastase (ROM) | Aug. 23, 1973 | 27 years, 1 month | 40 |
Most consecutive weeks at No. 1 Player | Weeks | Duration | Roger Federer | 237 | Feb. 2, 2004-Aug. 17, 2008 | Jimmy Connors | 160 | July 29, 1974-Aug. 22, 1977 | Ivan Lendl | 157 | Sept. 9, 1985-Sept. 11, 1988 | Pete Sampras | 102 | Apr. 15, 1996-Mar. 29, 1998 |
Total weeks at No. 1 Player | Weeks | Pete Sampras | 286 | Ivan Lendl | 270 | Jimmy Connors | 268 | Roger Federer | 237 | John McEnroe | 170 |
Left-handers to rank No. 1 Player | Weeks | Jimmy Connors | 268 | John McEnroe | 170 | Thomas Muster | 6 | Marcelo Rios | 6 | Rafael Nadal | 1 |
Courtesy: Greg Sharko/ATPptennis.com
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