Players who reached top-5 positions by year:

[Lew II]

Players who reached no.1:

1973 - Nastase
1974 - Newcombe, Connors
1975
1976
1977 - Borg
1978
1979
1980 - McEnroe
1981
1982
1983 - Lendl
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988 - Wilander
1989
1990 - Edberg
1991 - Becker
1992 - Courier
1993 - Sampras
1994
1995 - Agassi
1996 - Muster
1997
1998 - Rios
1999 - Moya, Kafelnikov, Rafter
2000 - Safin, Kuerten,
2001 - Hewitt
2002
2003 - Ferrero, Roddick
2004 - Federer
2005
2006
2007
2008 - Nadal
2009
2010
2011 - Djokovic
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 - Murray
2017
2018

Players who reached no.2 best ranking:

1973 - Orantes
1974
1975 - Rosewall, Vilas
1976 - Ashe
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993 - Stich
1994 - Ivanisevic
1995 -
1996 - Chang
1997
1998 - Korda
1999 - Corretja
2000 - Norman
2001
2002 - Haas
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

Players who reached no.3 best ranking:

1973 - Smith
1974 - Okker, Laver
1975
1976
1977 - Gottfried
1978 - Gerulaitis
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986 - Noah
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994 - Bruguera
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004 - Coria
2005
2006 - Nalbandian, Ljubicic, Davydenko
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013 - Ferrer
2014 - Wawrinka
2015
2016 - Raonic
2017 - Zverev, Dimitrov
2018 - Cilic, Del Potro

Players who reached no.4 best ranking:

1973 - Kodes
1974
1975
1976 - Panatta, Ramirez
1977
1978
1979 - Tanner
1980 - Mayer
1981 - Clerc
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988 - Mecir, Cash
1989
1990 - Gilbert, Gomez
1991 - Forget
1992
1993
1994 - Medvedev
1995
1996
1997 - Rusedski, Bjorkman
1998
1999 - Krajicek, Martin, Enqvist
2000 - Kiefer
2001
2002 - Henman, Grosjean
2003
2004
2005
2006 - Blake
2007
2008
2009
2010 - Soderling
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 - Nishikori, Berdych
2016
2017 - Thiem
2018

Players who reached no.5 best ranking:

1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978 - Dibbs
1979
1980 - Solomon
1981
1982
1983
1984 - Arias
1985 - Jarryd, Curren
1986 - Leconte
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000 - Pioline
2001
2002 - Novak
2003
2004 - Schuttler
2005 - Gaudio
2006 - Robredo
2007 - Gonzalez
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 - Tsonga
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 - Anderson

 

[Lew II]

Number of players who reached top-2 best ranking

1973 - 2
1974 - 2
1975 - 2
1976 - 1
1977 - 1
1978
1979
1980 - 1
1981
1982
1983 - 1
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988 - 1
1989
1990 - 1
1991 - 1
1992 - 1
1993 - 2
1994 - 1
1995 - 1
1996 - 2
1997
1998 - 2
1999 - 4
2000 - 3
2001 - 1
2002
2003 - 2
2004 - 1
2005
2006
2007
2008 - 1
2009
2010
2011 - 1
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 - 1
2017
2018

 

[Lew II]

1998-2004: 13 players reached the top-2 for the first time (1.86 per year)
2005-18: 3 players reached the top-2 for the first time (0.21 per year)

 

[Devin]

k what is this supposed to prove for your agenda?

 

[Alex889]

Good stuff Lew

 

[Lew II]

Good stuff Lew

Thanks.

 

[MS_07]

Hmm .. so in 98-04 ppl were more talented / had determination to do what it takes to be best in world .. nice analysis @Lew II

 

[Phoenix1983]

k what is this supposed to prove for your agenda?

Presumably somehow it shows a weak era for Federer and a strong era for Novak Djokovic.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Fascinating.

 

[MS_07]

Exasperating farrago of distortions, misrepresentations & outright lies being broadcast by an unprincipled man masquerading as a analyst