Well I wondered. At the moment Federer has 10,105 and Nadal became world no. 1 when he reached 7,645 points. Djokovic ended 2015 season with 16,585 points. But like the header said, does anyone know what the biggest amount of ranking points has ever been? As far as I know the current point system was introduced in 2009, so it has to be from 2009. But does anyone know, or has an idea which could be it?
Quick Facts - highest amount of ranking points ever:
(A) Rod Laver 1969 was the best season ever - holder of all 4 Grad Slam in the same season and in an Era when all players could play (unlike 1962) and when all 4 Grand Salm were accounted as the apex of the sport (unlike 1938).
(B) Roger Federer recorded 90,5% of referential points at the end of 2006 season, the best year-end ATP Rankings points ever - official Rankings started in 1973.
(C) Novak Djokovic achieved the highest ever recorded ranking points at 91,6% of the referential BigTitles(14) maximum points available.
(D) By Era:
Pre-WWI: L.Doherty 1903.
Pre-WWII: B.Tilden 1921.
Pre-ATP-Rankings: R.Laver 1969.
ATP-Rankings: P.Sampras 1994.
Post-2000-Reform: Federer 2006
Post-2009-Reform: Djokovic 2015.
(E) Since 2000 patterned rankings:
Post 2000-Reform best year-end seasons as % of BigTitles(14) total points available:
#0 DJO - June 2016 - 91,6% - Highest amount of points (16,950/18,500) ever achieved, although not in the year-end calendar season.
#1 FED - 2006 - 90,5%
#2 DJO - 2015 - 89,6%
#3 FED - 2007 - 77,6%
#4 DJO - 2011 - 73,7%
#5 FED - 2005 - 72,7%
#6 NAD - 2008 - 72,2%
#7 NAD - 2013 - 70,4%
#8 DJO - 2012 - 69,8%
#9 FED - 2004 - 68,5%
#10 NAD - 2010 - 67,3%
#11 MUR- 2016 - 67,1%
#12 DJO - 2013 - 66,3% - Djokovic finished number 2 this year, representing the highest pointing ever achieved by a #2 ranked player.
The most axiomatic manner to access this information is standartize the variables. We can isolate 5 Eras in which it is possible to assert the best seasons according to different standards.
(1) Pre-WWI Era: That should go for some season from Decugis, Wilding, Larned, W.Renshaw, Sears and/or Doherty brothers (Lawrence and Reginald) in somewhen around 1890's~1910's. Olympic tennis was considered as a fairly respectable event at the time, since there were some restrictions towards foreigners in Slam tournaments. Hard assumption due tho the scarcity of sources. ---- Picking "L.Doherty's 1903" here.
(2) Pre-WWII Era: Prior to WWII Grand Slam were not that prestigious. Top players tended to go on head-to-head tours together, rather than play a Slam, which was rather a career/financial choice rather than anything else. For this period, "Fame" as an intangible variable (including h2h tours, titles, style) should give you the most accurate answer. Of course, one could argue in favor of other seasons from the 4 Mousquetaires (Lacoste, Borotra, Cochet, Brugnon) as well as Vincent Richards, Perry, Vines and also the obviously less praised Crawford, Nusslein and VonCramm. All debatable, but along with Tildens'21, i can only think of Budges'38 (All 4 Grand Slam Holder) as the greatest from this period, even though Australian Open was not even considered a straight Grad Slam at that time. ---- Voting for "Tilden's1921" (intangibles).
(3) Pre-ATP-Rankings Era*: An easier one. Although many great name popped up during this period, it is hard to escape from Lavers'62/69 and Panchos'56. ---- Going for "Laver 1969" - also as the greatest season ever in this sport.
(4) ATP Rankings Era: ATP Rankings began in 1973, but its regular standards were never fully patterned until the year 2000 (updated in 2009). Thus, it is wise to compare BigTitles (14) whenever comparing Open Era seasons because they are consistently similar : 4 Grand Slam, 9 "Master" major** events, 1 "Finals" top-ranked year-ending cup. During this period, 13 players have won 6 or more BigTitles(14) during their best career seasons: Connors(6), Borg(6), McEnroe(6), Lendl(6), Wilander(5), Edberg(4), Sampras(6), Agassi(4), Federer(8), Nadal(7), Djokovic(10), Murray(6). Whereas rankings were not fully comparable prior to 2000, it is not exaggerate to assume the best seasons of the Big3 were better than any other, BigTitles account for most of the ranking points and they are the only ones to overrun the 6 BigTitles barrier - placing debatable though. If analyzed data only from prior-2000 ranking system, than Pete Sampras 1994 would stand out.
(5) Post-2000 Rankings Reform Era: Most straight forward Era in terms of ranking points assertion. In order to equalize 2009's reform, we could axiomatically trace an hypothetical maximum (not empirical max though) ATP Ranking points as equal to all BigTitles summed, i.e.: all 4GS, all 9M1000, and the undefeated Finals would result in a referential standard of 18,500 pts in ATP Rankings tally or 100%. Same goes for pre-2009, when the 100% referential standard would be the equivalent of 9,250 pts. Under this criteria the best seasons were:
#0 DJO - June 2016 - 91,6%***
#1 FED - 2006 - 90,5%
#2 DJO - 2015 - 89,6%
#3 FED - 2007 - 77,6%
#4 DJO - 2011 - 73,7%
#5 FED - 2005 - 72,7%
#6 NAD - 2008 - 72,2%
#7 NAD - 2013 - 70,4%
#8 DJO - 2012 - 69,8%
#9 FED - 2004 - 68,5%
#10 NAD - 2017 - 67,3%
#11 MUR- 2016 - 67,1%
#12 DJO - 2013 - 66,3% - Djokovic finished number 2 this year, representing the highest pointing ever achieved by a #2 ranked player. Djoker has also the record for the highest #3 ever in 2008 - also the year in which Andy Murray reached the highest ever pointed #4 player at the end of the season.
***Nevertheless the record for highest points ever achieved was set in June 2016, when Novak Djokovic reached 16,950 pts (virtually 17k) or 91,6% of BigTitles referential standard.
**major - Simply meaning "bigger than other" events, and not strictu sensu Major/Slam.
*Pre-ATP-Rankings Era - I prefer to use this classification instead of the widely known Amateur/Open denomination because it is better stratified. If Open/Amateur Eras were to be used, without a doubt Laver's 1969 would easily overcome any other season, since he stands alone with his unparalleld Calendar Grand Slam.
BONUS: The closest margin between a #1 and a #2 was recorded in 2000, when Guga Kuerten surpassed Marat Safin by only 2% and on the last match of the season.
, also see my edit above.
