Longest title drought for ATP?

[The Green Mile]

Anybody know what the longest title drought is for ATP singles players, between two titles? Was thinking about Dimitrov's title drought (2017 ATP Finals to 2024 Brisbane), while watching that 2024 every tournament winner video. Fucsovics not too far behind either with six years (2018 Geneva to 2024 Bucharest).

 

[JMR]

Since I don't think the term "title drought" is necessarily clear, I suggest phrasing the question this way: "What is the longest period of time between titles for a player who has won at least two ATP titles?" Thus, it doesn't count if someone wins a title in his first year and then plays another 15 years without ever winning another one, nor if someone has to play for 15 years before finally winning his first title.

 

[tennis3]

How long has it been since Sinner has won a title?

Are there any Sinner fans on this site that knows?

 

[objection_]

Not exactly a title drought, but Gilles Muller made his 1st final in Washington 2004 and only won his first title in Sydney 2017.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Ram had a 6 year drought in between his 2 career singles titles, both at Newport(2009 & 20015)

 

[Gizo]

Yahiya Doumbia won his first title as the world no. 453 at Lyon in February 1988 as a qualifier, and then his second title as the world no. 282 at Bordeaux in September 1995 also as a qualifier. So a 7 year and 7 month gap there.

Phil Dent had an approximate 8 year and 9 month gap, between his title wins in Sydney in January 1971 and Brisbane in October 1979, the first and second of his 3 official singles titles.

 

[yourtennisfit]

Shapovalov won his last one in 2019 and now again end of 2024 - probably the longest drought of a young player ever recorded

 

[Garro]

Dimitrov's 7 year gap was the longest one that I could find as well. You are right that Fucsovics has a 6 year gap, as do a few other players (Ram, Rochus, Magnus Larsson, Ferrero, Nieminen, Feliciano Lopez).

Edit: at least among matches from the past 3 decades or so.

 

[Tennisfan339]

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She will answer your question in a NY minute if you ask her.

 

[RSJfan]

Ram had a 6 year drought in between his 2 career singles titles, both at Newport(2009 & 20015)

Winning two Newports doesn’t get you into the Bropack.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Anybody know what the longest title drought is for ATP singles players, between two titles? Was thinking about Dimitrov's title drought (2017 ATP Finals to 2024 Brisbane), while watching that 2024 every tournament winner video. Fucsovics not too far behind either with six years (2018 Geneva to 2024 Bucharest).

Ram had a 6 year drought in between his 2 career singles titles, both at Newport(2009 & 20015)

yahiya doumbia's two titles (both won as a qualifier):
- lyon, feb. 1988, (indoor carpet), ranked #453
- bordeaux, sept. 1995 (outdoor hard), ranked #282

lowest-ranked players to win a tournament

list of lowest-ranked players to win an ATP-tour-level tournament (colour indicates the surface/conditions; highest career ranking, age at the time & total number of titles are also shown; last thing is the way they made it into the draw) #777 marin cilic CRO (#3), 35, hangzhou 2024 (21th/21)...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

PS: sorry... didn't see he had already mentioned...... and that you found even better

 

[buscemi]

On the women's side, Viktorija Golubic just won her second title in Jiangxi in November 2024. Her first title was at the Swiss Open in July 2016, so a gap of about 8 years, 3 months!

 

[Garro]

@The Green Mile I was genuinely curious about this so I did some more digging.

Phil Dent won Sydney Outdoor in Jan 1971 and his next title was Brisbane in October of 1979.

A period of over 8.5 years - this seems to be the biggest title gap in the open era, unless I missed something.

 

[Moose Malloy]

@The Green Mile I was genuinely curious about this so I did some more digging.

Phil Dent won Sydney Outdoor in Jan 1971 and his next title was Brisbane in October of 1979.

A period of over 8.5 years - this seems to be the biggest title gap in the open era, unless I missed something.

Uh, Gizo mentioned Dent earlier in this thread(post 6)

 

[Garro]

My bad, but I can confirm that this is the longest gap

 

[SonnyT]

What was the longest title drought in the slams in the open era?

 

[Spencer Gore]

What was the longest title drought in the slams in the open era?

Federer? Then Connors?

 

[zakopinjo]

Longest streak of a Big 3 member without a title:

Djokovic: Eastbourne (July 2017) - Wimbledon (July 2018)

Federer: Basel (November 2015) - Australian Open (January 2017)

Nadal: Barcelona (April 2016) - Monte Carlo (April 2017)

 

[adil1972]

I beat Pete Sampras and then went on the longest losing streak in ATP history

https://www.thetennisgazette.com/ne...-on-the-longest-losing-streak-in-atp-history/

 

[buscemi]

Federer? Then Connors?

Federer is July 2012-January 2017, so about 4.5 years.

Connors is September 1978-September 1982, so about 4 years.

I think Ashe takes it. January 1970 (AO)-July 1975 (Wimbledon), so about 5.5 years.

Of course, I'm not counting players like Rosewall and Laver who crossed over from the pre-Open Era to the Open Era.

EDIT: Also: (1) Agassi in between Connors and Federer with a gap between 1995 AO and 1999 French Open; (2) Becker at #2 behind Ashe with 1991 AO-1996 AO.

EDIT 2: On the women's side, maybe #1 Kuznetsova, with 4+ years between the 2004 U.S. Open and the 2009 French Open; and #2 Mandlíková, with 4+ years between the 1981 French Open and the 1985 U.S. Open.

 

[Soul_Evisceration]

If Nishikori or Raonic would win a title in 2025, I'm sure either of them would have a record for longest drought since neither has won anything since 2016.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Federer is July 2012-January 2017, so about 4.5 years.

Connors is September 1978-September 1982, so about 4 years.

I think Ashe takes it. January 1970 (AO)-July 1975 (Wimbledon), so about 5.5 years.

Of course, I'm not counting players like Rosewall and Laver who crossed over from the pre-Open Era to the Open Era.

EDIT: Also: (1) Agassi in between Connors and Federer with a gap between 1995 AO and 1999 French Open; (2) Becker at #2 behind Ashe with 1991 AO-1996 AO.

EDIT 2: On the women's side, maybe #1 Kuznetsova, with 4+ years between the 2004 U.S. Open and the 2009 French Open; and #2 Mandlíková, with 4+ years between the 1981 French Open and the 1985 U.S. Open.

safin also had 4+ years between his two slams...

 

[MichaelNadal]

Anybody know what the longest title drought is for ATP singles players, between two titles? Was thinking about Dimitrov's title drought (2017 ATP Finals to 2024 Brisbane), while watching that 2024 every tournament winner video. Fucsovics not too far behind either with six years (2018 Geneva to 2024 Bucharest).

Wild that it had been that long

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Federer is July 2012-January 2017, so about 4.5 years.

Connors is September 1978-September 1982, so about 4 years.

I think Ashe takes it. January 1970 (AO)-July 1975 (Wimbledon), so about 5.5 years.

Of course, I'm not counting players like Rosewall and Laver who crossed over from the pre-Open Era to the Open Era.

EDIT: Also: (1) Agassi in between Connors and Federer with a gap between 1995 AO and 1999 French Open; (2) Becker at #2 behind Ashe with 1991 AO-1996 AO.

EDIT 2: On the women's side, maybe #1 Kuznetsova, with 4+ years between the 2004 U.S. Open and the 2009 French Open; and #2 Mandlíková, with 4+ years between the 1981 French Open and the 1985 U.S. Open.

Our tennis historian Spencer Gore truly is wise