WORLD NO. 1 (by year)

Dan Lobb said:

Jack Kramer had Gonzales on the ropes in the 1952 Wembley final, 5 to 2 in the fifth set, when the smoke and lack of oxygen caught up with him, and he suddenly became exhausted. He lost the last five games of the match.
What did Gonzales have to do with that victory? He stayed alive until the smoke worked for him.
I am not saying that Kramer's opponent had nothing to do with the outcome, but that the bigger man (Kramer was 185 pounds, Gonzales 180) had greater oxygen requirements, and didn't get them.
Would Kramer have won if that match had been outdoors? Probably.

Click to expand...

Dan Lobb said:

Jack Kramer had Gonzales on the ropes in the 1952 Wembley final, 5 to 2 in the fifth set, when the smoke and lack of oxygen caught up with him, and he suddenly became exhausted. He lost the last five games of the match.
What did Gonzales have to do with that victory? He stayed alive until the smoke worked for him.
I am not saying that Kramer's opponent had nothing to do with the outcome, but that the bigger man (Kramer was 185 pounds, Gonzales 180) had greater oxygen requirements, and didn't get them.
Would Kramer have won if that match had been outdoors? Probably.

Click to expand...

Mustard said:

1975 as well. McEnroe in 1982 is another one.

Click to expand...

Limpinhitter said:

What a hot steamy pile of horse pucky!

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

Here's another great one along these same lines: Djokovic was not beaten by Fed at the 2007 USO, it was the gluten.

What did Fed have to do with that victory? He kept the match alive until Djoker's pasta supper of the night before worked for him.

Too funny.

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

Great fiction: "the smoke and lack of oxygen caught up with him, and he suddenly became exhausted".

You're hilarious; keep those surrealist tales coming. Love it!

Click to expand...

Dan Lobb said:

The "surrealist tales" were sourced from Kramer's own recollections and the London Times accounts.
Perhaps you should have said "realistic tales".

Click to expand...

Dan Lobb said:

Does this give Kramer an excuse for losing? No, but it provides some explanation for an unexpected result.

Click to expand...

Mustard said:

Gonzales beat Kramer in the 1952 Wembley Pro final, because he was better than Kramer that day.

Smoke? LOL. What did Gonzales breathe then?

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

Sure, happy to. Keep those rose-colored, sour-grapes tales coming.


If this is all you're doing, then I support you.

I'm sure tennis history is full of such stories of non-court, non-competition factors influencing the outcome of a match.

pace the last leg of Hoad's 1956 Grand Slam attempt at the US Championships--losing to Muscles

Click to expand...

Mustard said:

I did a list a while back of my top 2 tennis players per year:

My top 2 tennis players per year
1919: Bill Johnston, Bill Tilden
1920: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1921: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1922: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1923: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1924: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1925: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1926: Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra
1927: Rene Lacoste, Bill Tilden
1928: Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste
1929: Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste
1930: Henri Cochet, Bill Tilden
1931: Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines
1932: Ellsworth Vines, Bill Tilden
1933: Jack Crawford, Fred Perry
1934: Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry
1935: Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry
1936: Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry
1937: Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry
1938: Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge
1939: Don Budge, Ellsworth Vines
1940: Don Budge, Fred Perry
1941: Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs
1942: Don Budge, Bobby Riggs
1943: ??????
1944: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1945: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1946: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1947: Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer
1948: Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs
1949: Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs
1950: Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura
1951: Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura
1952: Pancho Segura, Pancho Gonzales
1953: Jack Kramer, Frank Sedgman
1954: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1955: Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura
1956: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1957: Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura
1958: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1959: Pancho Gonzales, Lew Hoad
1960: Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall
1961: Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall
1962: Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad
1963: Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver
1964: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1965: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1966: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1967: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1968: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1969: Rod Laver, Tony Roche
1970: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1971: John Newcombe, Stan Smith
1972: Stan Smith, Ilie Nastase
1973: Ilie Nastase, John Newcombe
1974: Jimmy Connors, John Newcombe
1975: Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors
1976: Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg
1977: Guillermo Vilas, Bjorn Borg
1978: Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors
1979: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe
1980: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe
1981: John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg
1982: Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl
1983: John McEnroe, Mats Wilander
1984: John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors
1985: Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe
1986: Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker
1987: Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg
1988: Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl
1989: Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl
1990: Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi
1991: Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier
1992: Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg
1993: Pete Sampras, Jim Courier
1994: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi
1995: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi
1996: Pete Sampras, Boris Becker
1997: Pete Sampras, Patrick Rafter
1998: Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios
1999: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras
2000: Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin
2001: Lleyton Hewitt, Gustavo Kuerten
2002: Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi
2003: Andy Roddick, Roger Federer
2004: Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt
2005: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2006: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2007: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2008: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
2009: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2010: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
2011: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal

My top 2 amateur tennis players per year
1919: Bill Johnston, Bill Tilden
1920: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1921: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1922: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1923: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1924: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1925: Bill Tilden, Bill Johnston
1926: Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra
1927: Rene Lacoste, Bill Tilden
1928: Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste
1929: Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste
1930: Henri Cochet, Bill Tilden
1931: Ellsworth Vines, Henri Cochet
1932: Ellsworth Vines, Henri Cochet
1933: Jack Crawford, Fred Perry
1934: Fred Perry, Jack Crawford
1935: Fred Perry, Jack Crawford
1936: Fred Perry, Gottfried von Cramm
1937: Don Budge, Gottfried von Cramm
1938: Don Budge, Bunny Austin
1939: Bobby Riggs, John Bromwich
1940: Don McNeill, Bobby Riggs
1941: Bobby Riggs, Frank Kovacs
1942: Ted Schroeder, Frank Parker
1943: Joseph Hunt, Jack Kramer
1944: Frank Parker, Bill Talbert
1945: Frank Parker, Bill Talbert
1946: Jack Kramer, John Bromwich
1947: Jack Kramer, Dinny Pails
1948: John Bromwich, Pancho Gonzales
1949: Pancho Gonzales, Ted Schroeder
1950: Budge Patty, Frank Sedgman
1951: Frank Sedgman, Dick Savitt
1952: Frank Sedgman, Jaroslav Drobny
1953: Tony Trabert, Ken Rosewall
1954: Jaroslav Drobny, Tony Trabert
1955: Tony Trabert, Ken Rosewall
1956: Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall
1957: Lew Hoad, Ashley Cooper
1958: Ashley Cooper, Mal Anderson
1959: Alex Olmedo, Neale Fraser
1960: Neale Fraser, Rod Laver
1961: Roy Emerson, Rod Laver
1962: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson
1963: Roy Emerson, Chuck McKinley
1964: Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle
1965: Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle
1966: Fred Stolle, Manuel Santana
1967: John Newcombe, Roy Emerson

My top 2 professional tennis players per year
1927: Vinny Richards, Howard Kinsey
1928: Vinny Richards, Karel Kozeluh
1929: Karel Kozeluh, Vinny Richards
1930: Karel Kozeluh, Vinny Richards
1931: Bill Tilden, Vinny Richards
1932: Bill Tilden, Karel Kozeluh
1933: Bill Tilden, Hans Nusslein
1934: Ellsworth Vines, Hans Nusslein
1935: Ellsworth Vines, Hans Nusslein
1936: Ellsworth Vines, Hans Nusslein
1937: Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry
1938: Ellsworth Vines, Hans Nusslein
1939: Don Budge, Ellsworth Vines
1940: Don Budge, Fred Perry
1941: Fred Perry, Dick Skeen
1942: Don Budge, Bobby Riggs
1943: ??????
1944: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1945: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1946: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1947: Bobby Riggs, Don Budge
1948: Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs
1949: Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs
1950: Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura
1951: Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura
1952: Pancho Segura, Pancho Gonzales
1953: Jack Kramer, Frank Sedgman
1954: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1955: Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura
1956: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1957: Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura
1958: Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman
1959: Pancho Gonzales, Lew Hoad
1960: Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall
1961: Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall
1962: Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad
1963: Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver
1964: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1965: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1966: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall
1967: Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

Tennis WORLD NO. 1
Male Singles Player (by year)

1950—Kramer/Segura
1951—Kramer
1952—Gonzales/Sedgman
1953—Kramer(6)/Segura(2)
1954—Gonzales
1955—Gonzales
1956—Gonzales
1957—Gonzales
1958—Gonzales(6)/Sedgman(2)
1959—Hoad
1960—Rosewall
1961—Rosewall
1962—Rosewall
1963—Rosewall(4)
1964—Laver
1965—Laver
1966—Laver
1967—Laver
1968—Laver
1969—Laver
1970—Laver(7)

Click to expand...

kiki said:

1970: Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver
1971: John Newcombe, Stan Smith
1972: Stan Smith, Ilie Nastase
1973: Ilie Nastase, John Newcombe
1974: Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg
1975: Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors
1976: Bjorn Borg,Jimmy Connors
1977: Guillermo Vilas, Bjorn Borg/Jimmy Connors
1978: Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors
1979: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe
1980: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe
1981: John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg
1982: Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl
1983: John McEnroe, Mats Wilander
1984: John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors
1985: Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe
1986: Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker
1987: Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg
1988: Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl
1989: Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl
1990: Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi
1991: Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier
1992: Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg
1993: Pete Sampras, Jim Courier
1994: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi
1995: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi
1996: Pete Sampras, Boris Becker
1997: Pete Sampras, Patrick Rafter
1998: Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios
1999: Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras
2000: Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin
2001: Lleyton Hewitt, Gustavo Kuerten
2002: Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi
2003: Andy Roddick, Roger Federer
2004: Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt
2005: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2006: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2007: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2008: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
2009: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
2010: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
2011: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal

Click to expand...

atatu said:

I did an interview with Dennis Ralston earlier this year and he makes a case for Gonzales being the best ever.

http://austintennis.blogspot.com/2011/10/dennis-ralston-interview-part-i.html

Click to expand...

jean pierre said:

Jimmy Connors n°1 in 1977, without winning one Grand Slam ??!!

Click to expand...

jean pierre said:

Jimmy Connors n°1 in 1977, without winning one Grand Slam ??!!

Click to expand...

timnz said:

For 1977 season the top 5 tournaments were (in chronological order)

Wct finals
French open
Wimbledon
Us open
Masters

Connors won 2 of them and was in the finals of two others. Vilas won 2 and was in no other finals. Borg won 1 and was in 1 other final (the masters). So connors made 4 of the top 5 finals and both borg and vilas only made 2 each.

Having said that i will think vilas deserves the number 1 rank for that season, but when you look at it in terms of the top 5 events, connors did a lot better than you might think.

Click to expand...

jean pierre said:

Most of people think that Vilas is N°1 in 1977. Some of them think it's Borg. But I've never heard before someone who thinks that it could be Connors. N° without winning FO, USO or Wimbledon ? Impossible.

Click to expand...

kiki said:

I think timinz made a good point.Connors won 2 out of the top 6 events of the year and made two more finals, while Borg won a title and lost another final.Vilas got two majors and was a beaten finalist in another one.When you have the overall picture, it is not unlogical to pick up Connors, as he was the most complete player of the lot.

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

Yes, the case has been made, by reputable sources, to award 1977 to Connors.

Click to expand...

Gizo said:

While I would still put Connors third in 1977 behind Vilas and Borg, I agree that there is a case to give him the edge that year given that he won 2 out of the 5 biggest tournaments that year and was a finalist at 2 out of the other 3.

It's not like 1982 where there is no way in hell anyone could give McEnroe the edge that year over either Connors or Lendl, given that failed to win any titles at the slams, Masters, WCT finals or other WCT tournaments.

Click to expand...

jean pierre said:

Which sources ?

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

The Association of Tennis Professionals computer rankings. ("The ATP itself awarded Borg "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking [Connors N° 1].")
Year-end number 1

John McEnroe finished the year as the number 1-ranked player for four consecutive years from 1981 to 1984.
Lleyton Hewitt at age 20 became the youngest player to hold the world number 1 ranking. He obtained this in November 2001.
Novak Djokovic finished the year 2011 as No. 1
The year-end number 1 ranked player is determined as the player at the head of the ATP rankings following the completion of the final tournament of the calendar year, usually in November or December. 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.
Key
(1) Cumulative number of times as year-end number 1
Ranked number 1 during every week of the calendar year
Year Player
1973 Ilie Năstase (1)
1974 Jimmy Connors (1)
1975 Jimmy Connors (2)
1976 Jimmy Connors (3)
1977 Jimmy Connors (4)

Click to expand...

timnz said:

Wasn't Borg number 1 for A week in 1977 in august?

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

The Association of Tennis Professionals computer rankings. ("The ATP itself awarded Borg "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking [Connors N° 1].")
Year-end number 1

John McEnroe finished the year as the number 1-ranked player for four consecutive years from 1981 to 1984.
Lleyton Hewitt at age 20 became the youngest player to hold the world number 1 ranking. He obtained this in November 2001.
Novak Djokovic finished the year 2011 as No. 1
The year-end number 1 ranked player is determined as the player at the head of the ATP rankings following the completion of the final tournament of the calendar year, usually in November or December. 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.
Key
(1) Cumulative number of times as year-end number 1
Ranked number 1 during every week of the calendar year
Year Player
1973 Ilie Năstase (1)
1974 Jimmy Connors (1)
1975 Jimmy Connors (2)
1976 Jimmy Connors (3)
1977 Jimmy Connors (4)

Click to expand...

timnz said:

Wasn't Borg number 1 for A week in 1977 in august?

Click to expand...

Gizo said:

While I would still put Connors third in 1977 behind Vilas and Borg, I agree that there is a case to give him the edge that year given that he won 2 out of the 5 biggest tournaments that year and was a finalist at 2 out of the other 3.

It's not like 1982 where there is no way in hell anyone could give McEnroe the edge that year over either Connors or Lendl, given that failed to win any titles at the slams, Masters, WCT finals or other WCT tournaments.

Click to expand...

hoodjem said:

So far three different slam winners, so there is a possibility of (at least) three different world no. 1 for 2012. (Imagine if Murray were to win the USO. Four?)

But if one of these three wins the US Open, would that "seal the deal"? Could Nadal re-gain the no. 1 spot?

Do the Olympics factor in?

Click to expand...

Dan Lobb said:

He was paid for 15 wins against Gonzales, and Gonzales acknowledged that. No way would Gonzales have accepted less money than he was entitled to, or acknowledged the head to head win by Hoad.
"The only only player who beat me in a head to head tour was Hoad in 1959, 15 to 13. During that tour, Hoad produced the greatest tennis I have ever seen. I had blisters under my blisters from the punishment. After that tour, Hoad's back bothered him so much that he lost his desire to practise."
There was a bonus money pool for tournament play for the entire 1959-60 season (beginning in January 1959 to January 1960) involving the whole Kramer group of players. Kramer designated this tour as the overall world championship, as opposed to the four-man U.S. tour. The world title involved 14 designated tournaments, which did not include the Grand Prix de Europe or the "US Pro" in Cleveland. The series sponsor and funder was Ampol, the giant oil company. The tournaments were held throughout the year, with an early series in Australia, a middle series in U.S.A., and a concluding series in Australia. Hoad won this title, with Gonzales finishing second.

Click to expand...

kiki said:

Wasn´t Pancho Gonzales who claimed that the only player he thought out of his reach was peak Hoad?

Click to expand...

kiki said:

..if such a terrific ego as Gonzales says such a thing, there is no way to doubt about it.

Click to expand...

Mustard said:

Gonzales went out of his way to be friendly with Hoad as well, which was most unlike him. Even his friends like Segura and Olmedo, and his proteges like Pasarell and Ralston, would often be on the sharp end of his temper. He even ignored Olmedo for months once after Olmedo beat him in a match.

Click to expand...

kiki said:

Hoad had women´s magnet.He was also a great friend of his friend.Even such a mean guy like Rosewall, his long time buddy and rival, paid the greatest tribute to him.

In the south of Spain and in Spain´s DC team, he was seen as one of them.

Click to expand...