Race For Year-End Number 1

Tennis glory is generally universally recognised by the number of slams a player has won.

Every tennis player dreams of two things, though: to win Wimbledon and be ranked number one.

Historically speaking, all three dreams usually go hand in hand: Roger Federer tops all three charts: he has won most slams, Wimbledon trophies and been longest at the top both in consecutive and total weeks.

Pete Sampras holds the record of six year-end number ones, which were in consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.
Only five players have stayed at number 1 in the rankings every week of a calendar year. Federer is the only player to have been ranked number 1 every week for three consecutive calendar years.
Usually, number one ranking would have been relatively secure by this stage in the season as in the last ten years we have seen domination of three players who would win at least two slams a year and be difficult to catch in autumn.
Not in 2012.
Although looking a healthy 1335-ish points ahead of his closest rival Novak Djokovic, Federer has a lot of points to defend: last year he won Basel, Paris Bercy as well as WTF, a total of 3000 points.
Because of his back injury, Novak missed the entire Asian swing last year and is in an excellent position to gain 1500 there closing the gap on Federer significantly even before WTF in London.
I am not quite sure if this is possible, but wouldn't it be great to have the two battle for the top spot in the WTF final?


Let's not forget Andy Murray, who does not hide his number one ambition. He too benefited from the absence of the big three last year and won a lot of points in Asia. So in order to keep the status quo, he has to defend 1500 just in the next two weeks, before getting in the position for earning any new ones.

Federer has been quiet since his Davis Cup match in Holland, but Novak, who is starting his comeback tomorrow, as usual, does not hide his ambition. Despite having played fewer tournaments than Federer and Murray, he leads in the ATP race for 2012 season:

"It is still open, the No. 1 spot of the world. Obviously I will try to dedicate myself and focus on every tournament
that I play. I try not to think about what's going to happen at the end
of the season because there is still more than a few tournaments to go
here in Asia and then the indoor season in Europe. Everything is
possible, but I will try to not think about calculations, not think
about any other players' results, and just concentrate on my own game."


So, year-end number one, come back to Nole !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkPbM9Qhk-4

P.S.
I'll let you into a little secret. I wrote all this just so I can share this super-cute song with you...well not quite, but almost!

A new topic being created for this, then I'll post here.

Fed updated on his fb page that he is playing Shanghai this year.
"Looking forward to going back to China and playing in the Shanghai Rolex Masters. I have always enjoyed China and I can't wait to see my great chinese fans again. See you soon!"

Good news as I wanted a good competitive field for any masters tournament. Also shows he is looking for the YE #1.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:A new topic being created for this, then I'll post here.

Sorry, I didn't realise this came across as a doubling effort, my intention was to draw attention to the actual value and importance of number one ranking.
The other thread follows ATP race ranking for WTF qualifying, this one is more focused on number one ranking.

In recent years the importance and value of number one ranking has been overshadowed by GOAT discussions and they all revolve around the number of slams.

I think the quality of each player shows a lot about a player's relative strength/domination/quality in their generation.
You had players who were number one just for one week (Rafter) or Moya with just two.
I bet you didn't know that Roddick was longer at number one than Becker (only by a week - 13 altogether)

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:A new topic being created for this, then I'll post here.

Fed updated on his fb page that he is playing Shanghai this year.
"Looking forward to going back to China and playing in the Shanghai Rolex Masters. I have always enjoyed China and I can't wait to see my great chinese fans again. See you soon!"

Good news as I wanted a good competitive field for any masters tournament. Also shows he is looking for the YE #1.

and Fed specifically said, "the Shanghai Rolex Masters" as Rolex is important in there. I think this is more of a reason that the YE #1 ranking but I agree the latter is important to him too and can be another important reason for him to play Shanghai this year.

And I would not underestimate the role of tennis ambassador he thinks he has. I think he believes millions of Chinese want to see him..whether true or not I don't know but I believe he cares.

Tenez wrote:And I would not underestimate the role of tennis ambassador he thinks he has. I think he believes millions of Chinese want to see him..whether true or not I don't know but I believe he cares.

In the light of coming WTF, Federer gave an interesting, meaningful and honest interview. It's on the ATP site .
He talks about his WTFs, the early ones, how much win over Agassi meant, AND how money and points influenced the pressure.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/Uploaded/2012/10/2/ATP-World-Tour-Uncovered---Roger-Federer.aspx#ooid=R5aWsyNjr3wZoKaw-87Pa99mMOsNsxyA

Yes, read it. He sounds like someone who has very little left to prove, very confident.

From Federer's latest Shanghai interview:

“I hope I will finish World No. 1 at the end of the year,” said Federer, who is competing for the first time since the US Open.
"For me it's about trying to play well here in Shanghai and go from there. If everything would have been totally focused on World No. 1, I would have gone to Tokyo or Beijing, most likely, and all those things. "I've already reached my goal by getting back to World No. 1 in the summer. That was for me the goal, getting back there and winning a Grand Slam, particularly Wimbledon.

I feel very much at peace and I'm happy. I always have to look 12 months ahead, as well, making sure I stay injury free, that I stay
hungry for more. This is where if it works out, great, and if it doesn't, someone else plays better. I am here, so I'll give it the best shot I can and we'll see how it goes.”

Looks like Fed's goal was 300+ weeks and he managed it. I didn't expect him to break a leg in Shanghai. Perhaps he will withdraw from Basel or Barcy or will play poor and lose early in one of those.

YE No.1 is almost beyond his own efforts. He needs to win all and Djokovic needs to play very poor.

His main goal for this year now would be to win a 7th WTF.

Can anyone please tell me why Nole isn't playing in Basel when he has points to defend (not many, true, but still)?

Is he playing Valencia instead?

No, it doesn't seem to be the case...

I didn't know he was skipping Basel...did he do his mandatory 500 events for the year? I ko whe played Dubai and Beijing, is it 2 or 3 500 torunaments they need?
If he did, and has not a lot to defend, it's the luxury he can afford. Be sharp, fresh and ready for Paris and London and let Roger defend his 500 in Basel. Murray will be there to keep him "top" company

As of this Monday's atp rankings, Federer is only 195 points ahead of Nole.
In the race, Nole leads by 2155 points.

noleisthebest wrote:As of this Monday's atp rankings, Federer is only 195 points ahead of Nole.
In the race, Nole leads by 2155 points.

Yes, its highly likely Djokovic will end with YE ranking. I just want it to see this ranking decider going to the very last match of the year for both of them . Wouldn't that be fun?

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:As of this Monday's atp rankings, Federer is only 195 points ahead of Nole.
In the race, Nole leads by 2155 points.

Yes, its highly likely Djokovic will end with YE ranking. I just want it to see this ranking decider going to the very last match of the year for both of them . Wouldn't that be fun?

It would be absolutely magical, but I don't think it would come to that, still ,I would love to see them in the WTF final regardless, the two best players of the year, it would be a fantastic ending to the season

And it's official

"Novak Djokovic has clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking, becoming the
first player to finish the season atop the ATP standings in consecutive
years since Roger Federer achieved four straight No. 1 finishes from
2004-07.

Djokovic, who lost the top spot to Federer after the Swiss won
Wimbledon, will reclaim the No. 1 ranking on November 5, when Federer’s
points from his 2011 title runs at Basel, the Paris Masters, and the ATP
World Tour Finals drop off his record. Federer added final-round points
from his runner-up finish in Basel last Sunday, but he pulled out of
the Paris Masters and will lose all 1000 points he earned there last
tear. The ATP stated that Federer will not be able to earn enough
rankings points to finish the year ahead of Djokovic.

Djokovic has an ATP-best 70-11 match record this year, and won the
Australian Open, Miami Masters, Toronto Masters, Beijing, and Shanghai
Masters tournaments. He was also a finalist at Roland Garros, the U.S.
Open, and three other Masters tournaments."


BRAVO NOLE!!!!!

Fits here better maybe:

Fed was very unlucky in a way not to finish number 1 in 2003. He ended the year by destroying everybody in teh Houston Masters and was just one match away (Paris 1/4f v Henman) from finishing number 1.

Here he is a bit further away but still pretty close.

Tenez wrote:Fits here better maybe:

Fed was very unlucky in a way not to finish number 1 in 2003. He ended the year by destroying everybody in teh Houston Masters and was just one match away (Paris 1/4f v Henman) from finishing number 1.

Here he is a bit further away but still pretty close.

I think he's done exceptionally well this year. Even I'm proud of his number one recapturing and beating that 300 week record .

Yes but as I said Nadal helped him a lot during that clay season. I expected Djoko and Murray to help Fed the previous years (209/2010) but they coudl not beat Nadal then.

Tenez wrote:Yes but as I said Nadal helped him a lot during that clay season. I expected Djoko and Murray to help Fed the previous years (209/2010) but they coudl not beat Nadal then.

yes, those were extremely frustrating years for THIS Nole fan....some of those losses to Nadal were nothing short of brutal...which is why I am so proud of how Nole turned the tide and finished Nadal off.
I don't think Murray has the guts to do the same.

I think Murray has. He did it at slams at an even younger age than Djoko!

The only thing is that Nadal went a few more notches up phsyically and Murray's FH became a real liability.

But I woudl be very surprised if Nadal were to beat Murray again.

Tenez wrote:
But I woudl be very surprised if Nadal were to beat Murray again.

That's a bold statement even for slow AO courts, but I certainly look forward to seeing what happens in their next match, esp a slam one, I Nadal will still have the edge as Murray is still so tentative with his forehand, although, you jsust don't know what Nadal is going to come back and if he is going to come back at all.
Nothing would surprise me from him.
I actually think he'll come back for AO then skip IW & Miami and be back for clay.

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:
But I woudl be very surprised if Nadal were to beat Murray again.

That's a bold statement even for slow AO courts, but I certainly look forward to seeing what happens in their next match, esp a slam one, I Nadal will still have the edge as Murray is still so tentative with his forehand, although, you jsust don't know what Nadal is going to come back and if he is going to come back at all.
Nothing would surprise me from him.
I actually think he'll come back for AO then skip IW & Miami and be back for clay.

Murray and Nadal, that must be wanted match in AO. I can hear sizzling emotions already now. I am for Andy, if he stays focused he should do it. Quite different match would be on clay, where Andy is not able to step deeper in the court and then he plays too much passively. I see a clay season only between Nole and Nadal again, if they both stay healthy. Would be really nice to see Nole to win in RG.