Marat Safin: The Man Of Fire

[Mainad]

In the latest profile on the 26 players to rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, ATPTour.com looks back on the career of Marat Safin, the 2nd Russian player to reach the top of the ATP world rankings:

First week at No. 1: 20 November 2000
Total weeks at No. 1: 9

At World No. 1
Safin was No. 35 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in April 2000. But the Russian used a strong push towards the end of the season to reach World No. 1 for the first time on 20 November 2000. At 20 years, 10 months, he remains the second-youngest player to reach the top spot.

“For me it was very strange in my experience reaching No. 1 and being No. 1. I wasn’t ready for that because I couldn’t imagine just a few months earlier that I’d have the chance to become No. 1 in the world. I was Top 50, dropping, playing very badly,” Safin told ATPTour.com. “I underestimated myself… I didn’t believe in myself and I was seeing myself weaker than others, which is unbelievable. Now I can understand tennis better.”

Marat Safin: The Man Of Fire | ATP Tour | Tennis

In the latest profile on the 26 players to rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, ATPTour.com looks back on the career of Marat Safin.

www.atptour.com

 

[Mainad]

Amazing to think he rose from world number #35 to world #1 in the space of just 7 months!

Has any other male player risen up the rankings like that in such a short space of time?

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Vodka is a hell of a drug.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Amazing to think he rose from world number #35 to world #1 in the space of just 7 months!

Has any other male player risen up the rankings like that in such a short space of time?

Well, if you mean the jump in ranking spots in a short period of time, then Agassi rose from #110 in December 1997 to #6 in December 1998, i.e. a jump of 104 spots in a year.

However I think you mean actually rising to the #1 spot itself, in which case I'm almost certain the answer must be no. Most #1 male players have been in the top 10 for a long time before they hit the top spot. Safin's rise was extraordinary in that sense.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Well, if you mean the jump in ranking spots in a short period of time, then Agassi rose from #110 in December 1997 to #6 in December 1998, i.e. a jump of 104 spots in a year.

However I think you mean actually rising to the #1 spot itself, in which case I'm almost certain the answer must be no. Most #1 male players have been in the top 10 for a long time before they hit the top spot. Safin's rise was extraordinary in that sense.

That might be an all-time record, not just an ATP-era record, in terms of rising to the number one spot in a short time.

 

[Deleted member 22147]

The most successful player with that sort of injury list. 3 injury free seasons from 20. The tallest number 1 in history.

He did great and it was a pleasure to support him. I wouldn't change anything about Safin.

 

[King No1e]

Vodka is a hell of a drug.

Tell that to Johansson

 

[BGod]

Well, if you mean the jump in ranking spots in a short period of time, then Agassi rose from #110 in December 1997 to #6 in December 1998, i.e. a jump of 104 spots in a year.

However I think you mean actually rising to the #1 spot itself, in which case I'm almost certain the answer must be no. Most #1 male players have been in the top 10 for a long time before they hit the top spot. Safin's rise was extraordinary in that sense.

Yes it's the fastest although shout out to Connors who went from 10 to 1 in 10 months and had the ranking system existed prior to Aug of 1973 was closer to #20 about 14 months out.

 

[Deleted member 771911]

I know Safin gets loved on here, but I remember that rise. He was very special.

 

[arvind13]

was rewatching safin's amazing 1998 french open run. this guy should have been the biggest tennis star of the 21st century. In terms of raw shotmaking talent he is on the same league as federer and much better than nadal and djokovic. For a man of his size, he moves extremely well, and plays a game which combines power and grace and variety. he wasn't a ball basher like wawrinka. In his prime, he did everything better than del potro, whom many modern fans consider a sort of successor to safin. he was better looking and more charismatic than federer, which has nothing to do with tennis but in terms of star power and money drawing power would have made him bigger than federer if he had stayed in the top 3 and won more slams. And we missed out on a true safin-federer rivalry which i'm sure (if safin wasn't injured and played with focus) would have produced better or atleast as good matches as federer/nadal of federer/djokovic rivalries.