If none of the 29 former no 1s existed

[Dropshot777]

If none of the 29 former no 1s existed, which players would you pick to take their place and how many weeks would they have at no. 1. Here's my list for the open era:

1. Goran Ivanisevic: 372 weeks

2. Guillermo Vilas: 291 weeks

3. Stan Wawrinka: 270 weeks

4. Alexander Zverev: 268 weeks

5. Michael Chang: 243 weeks

6. Casper Ruud: 192 weeks

7. Juan Martin Del Potro: 176 weeks

8. David Ferrer: 160 weeks

9. Brad Gilbert: 142 weeks

10. Ken Rosewall: 131 weeks

11. Dominic Thiem: 122 weeks

12. Marin Cilic: 121 weeks

13. Rod Laver: 87 weeks

14. Richard Krajicek: 45 weeks

15. Nikolay Davydenko: 33 weeks

16. Thomas Johansson: 12 weeks

Sorry I don't have many players for the 90s or 80s, but I can't think of many great choices.

 

[CyBorg]

 

[objection_]

what

 

[Jonesy]

I agree.

 

[FRV4]

This is a lot of work and research. I too was once like you

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

If none of the 29 former no 1s existed, which players would you pick to take their place and how many weeks would they have at no. 1. Here's my list for the open era:

1. Goran Ivanisevic: 372 weeks

2. Guillermo Vilas: 291 weeks

3. Stan Wawrinka: 270 weeks

4. Alexander Zverev: 268 weeks

5. Michael Chang: 243 weeks

6. Casper Ruud: 192 weeks

7. Juan Martin Del Potro: 176 weeks

8. David Ferrer: 160 weeks

9. Brad Gilbert: 142 weeks

10. Ken Rosewall: 131 weeks

11. Dominic Thiem: 122 weeks

12. Marin Cilic: 121 weeks

13. Rod Laver: 87 weeks

14. Richard Krajicek: 45 weeks

15. Nikolay Davydenko: 33 weeks

16. Thomas Johansson: 12 weeks

Sorry I don't have many players for the 90s or 80s, but I can't think of many great choices.

no stich?

 

[GloW]

If none of the 29 former no 1s existed, which players would you pick to take their place and how many weeks would they have at no. 1. Here's my list for the open era:

1. Goran Ivanisevic: 372 weeks

2. Guillermo Vilas: 291 weeks

3. Stan Wawrinka: 270 weeks

4. Alexander Zverev: 268 weeks

5. Michael Chang: 243 weeks

6. Casper Ruud: 192 weeks

7. Juan Martin Del Potro: 176 weeks

8. David Ferrer: 160 weeks

9. Brad Gilbert: 142 weeks

10. Ken Rosewall: 131 weeks

11. Dominic Thiem: 122 weeks

12. Marin Cilic: 121 weeks

13. Rod Laver: 87 weeks

14. Richard Krajicek: 45 weeks

15. Nikolay Davydenko: 33 weeks

16. Thomas Johansson: 12 weeks

Sorry I don't have many players for the 90s or 80s, but I can't think of many great choices.

Zverev: every week except 1
Thiem: 1 week

 

[Berrettini_Fan]

Ok, but hear me out...

What if none of the players in the OP existed? THEN who would be #1 and for how long?

 

[JMR]

Sorry I don't have many players for the 90s or 80s, but I can't think of many great choices.

When Miloslav Mecir achieved his career-high ranking of no. 4 in 1988, the players ahead of him were Lendl, Wilander, and Edberg -- all no. 1 at some point. The players immediately below Mecir were Connors and Becker, also no. 1 players. It seems pretty clear to me that the Big Cat was destined for supremacy in a world without the historical no. 1s (although eliminating all of them also would deprive Mecir of one of his favorite whipping boys, Wilander). Moreover, Mecir would have been a year-end no. 1 as well. He finished no. 6 in 1987, and the guys ahead of him were Lendl, Edberg, Wilander, Connors, and Becker.

 

[Dropshot777]

When Miloslav Mecir achieved his career-high ranking of no. 4 in 1988, the players ahead of him were Lendl, Wilander, and Edberg -- all no. 1 at some point. The players immediately below Mecir were Connors and Becker, also no. 1 players. It seems pretty clear to me that the Big Cat was destined for supremacy in a world without the historical no. 1s (although eliminating all of them also would deprive Mecir of one of his favorite whipping boys, Wilander). Moreover, Mecir would have been a year-end no. 1 as well. He finished no. 6 in 1987, and the guys ahead of him were Lendl, Edberg, Wilander, Connors, and Becker.

So sorry, I somehow forgot about one of my favorite players. I'll put him right behind Wawrinka.

 

[Sudacafan]

Vilas actually reached #1.
The ATP inaccuracies of its initial years robbed him the ranking.

 

[buscemi]

Highest ranked players at the end of each season who were never #1 through 2010 (have to run; someone else can fill in 2011-2025):

1973: Okker (#4)
1974: Vilas (#5)
1975: Vilas (#2)
1976: Orantes (#4)
1977: Vilas (#2)
1978: Vilas (#3)
1979: Gerulaitis (#4)
1980: Gene Mayer (#4)
1981: Clerc (#5)
1982: Vilas (#4)
1983: Noah (#5)
1984: Gómez (#5)
1985: Noah (#7)
1986: Noah (#4)
1987: Mečíř (#6)
1988: Kent Carlsson (#6)
1989: Chang (#5)
1990: Gómez (#6)
1991: Stich (#4)
1992: Ivanišević (#4)
1993: Stich (#2)
1994: Bruguera (#4)
1995: Chang (#5)
1996: Chang (#2)
1997: Chang (#3)
1998: Corretja (#3)
1999: Enqvist (#4)
2000: Magnus Norman (#4)
2001: Grosjean (#6)
2002: Jiří Novák (#7)
2003: Coria (#5)
2004: Henman (#6)
2005: Davydenko (#5)
2006: Davydenko (#3)
2007: Davydenko (#4)
2008: Davydenko (#5)
2009: del Potro (#5)
2010: Söderling (#5)

 

[Sudacafan]

Highest ranked players at the end of each season who were never #1 through 2010 (have to run; someone else can fill in 2011-2025):

1973: Okker (#4)
1974: Vilas (#5)
1975: Vilas (#2)
1976: Orantes (#4)
1977: Vilas (#2)
1978: Vilas (#3)
1979: Gerulaitis (#4)
1980: Gene Mayer (#4)
1981: Clerc (#5)
1982: Vilas (#4)
1983: Noah (#5)
1984: Gómez (#5)
1985: Noah (#7)
1986: Noah (#4)
1987: Mečíř (#6)
1988: Kent Carlsson (#6)
1989: Chang (#5)
1990: Gómez (#6)
1991: Stich (#4)
1992: Ivanišević (#4)
1993: Stich (#2)
1994: Bruguera (#4)
1995: Chang (#5)
1996: Chang (#2)
1997: Chang (#3)
1998: Corretja (#3)
1999: Enqvist (#4)
2000: Magnus Norman (#4)
2001: Grosjean (#6)
2002: Jiří Novák (#7)
2003: Coria (#5)
2004: Henman (#6)
2005: Davydenko (#5)
2006: Davydenko (#3)
2007: Davydenko (#4)
2008: Davydenko (#5)
2009: del Potro (#5)
2010: Söderling (#5)

I believe Nalbandian and Coria could never make this list.

 

[helterskelter]

no stich?

He’d peak at #2, as would all of them, because of course Bull would still be dominant #1 even if he did not exist.

 

[buscemi]

Highest ranked players at the end of each season who were never #1 through 2010 (have to run; someone else can fill in 2011-2025):

1973: Okker (#4)
1974: Vilas (#5)
1975: Vilas (#2)
1976: Orantes (#4)
1977: Vilas (#2)
1978: Vilas (#3)
1979: Gerulaitis (#4)
1980: Gene Mayer (#4)
1981: Clerc (#5)
1982: Vilas (#4)
1983: Noah (#5)
1984: Gómez (#5)
1985: Noah (#7)
1986: Noah (#4)
1987: Mečíř (#6)
1988: Kent Carlsson (#6)
1989: Chang (#5)
1990: Gómez (#6)
1991: Stich (#4)
1992: Ivanišević (#4)
1993: Stich (#2)
1994: Bruguera (#4)
1995: Chang (#5)
1996: Chang (#2)
1997: Chang (#3)
1998: Corretja (#3)
1999: Enqvist (#4)
2000: Magnus Norman (#4)
2001: Grosjean (#6)
2002: Jiří Novák (#7)
2003: Coria (#5)
2004: Henman (#6)
2005: Davydenko (#5)
2006: Davydenko (#3)
2007: Davydenko (#4)
2008: Davydenko (#5)
2009: del Potro (#5)
2010: Söderling (#5)

Top player in year-end rankings who never reached #1 for 2011-2024:

2011: Ferrer (#5)
2012: Ferrer (#5)
2013: Ferrer (#3)
2014: Wawrinka (#4)
2015: Wawrinka (#4)
2016: Raonic (#3)
2017: Dimitrov (#3)
2018: Zverev (#4)
2019: Thiem (#4)
2020: Thiem (#3)
2021: Zverev (#3)
2022: Ruud (#3)
2023: Rublev (#5)
2024: Zverev (#2)

 

[Dropshot777]

I believe Nalbandian and Coria could never make this list.

Maybe Coria. Nalbandian was destined to be number 5 his whole life.

 

[Sudacafan]

Maybe Coria. Nalbandian was destined to be number 5 his whole life.

Same as Coria, Nalbandian reached ATP highest #3 for awhile, with the advantage that his best surface was hard courts which provides more ranking points than clay, which was Coria’s forte.

Coria’s tennis mind was broken by Baby Nadal and by out-nowhere Gaudio RG 04 lucky performance.

On another note, another #3 ATP best ranked Argy was Del Potro.

 

[Hitman]

That's nuts

 

[Winner Sinner]

If none of the 29 former no 1s existed, which players would you pick to take their place and how many weeks would they have at no. 1. Here's my list for the open era:

1. Goran Ivanisevic: 372 weeks

2. Guillermo Vilas: 291 weeks

3. Stan Wawrinka: 270 weeks

4. Alexander Zverev: 268 weeks

5. Michael Chang: 243 weeks

6. Casper Ruud: 192 weeks

7. Juan Martin Del Potro: 176 weeks

8. David Ferrer: 160 weeks

9. Brad Gilbert: 142 weeks

10. Ken Rosewall: 131 weeks

11. Dominic Thiem: 122 weeks

12. Marin Cilic: 121 weeks

13. Rod Laver: 87 weeks

14. Richard Krajicek: 45 weeks

15. Nikolay Davydenko: 33 weeks

16. Thomas Johansson: 12 weeks

Sorry I don't have many players for the 90s or 80s, but I can't think of many great choices.

Although interesting data, they are not realistic because if the number 1 did not exist the whole scenario would change, even the scoreboards themselves.
For example, let's take away the players ranked number 1 from the last Australian Open, so Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz and Medvedev.
A completely different draw would emerge, where Zverev would be the number 1 seed, Fritz the number 2, Ruud the number 3, and so on.
It would be a completely different tournament that would have a totally different outcome, and we don't know how it would have ended.
Here, take this reasoning made for the last Australian Open and multiply it by all the tournaments played since the computerized system existed.
Result?
That data would be zero relevant.