Alcaraz equals the record of the tennis legend

Carlos Alcaraz has equaled Andy Murray's achievement in terms of weeks spent as the world No. 1 after completing 41 weeks leading the ATP rankings.

The year 2025 has showcased the Spanish player's remarkable form with two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open. Following his victory in the US, Alcaraz reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Jannik Sinner and has maintained it for the past four weeks, thereby matching the Scottish legend's record.

Alcaraz first reached the world No. 1 position at the 2022 US Open after defeating Casper Ruud, becoming the youngest player ever to hold the top spot at 19 years and 4 months old. He lost the position to Novak Djokovic in January 2023 but quickly regained it in March. The No. 1 ranking switched repeatedly between Alcaraz and Djokovic until June 2024 when Sinner surged ahead.

However, with two Grand Slam titles won this season against his main rivals, Alcaraz has returned to No. 1 and is certain to finish 2025 as the ATP leader.

Unlike Alcaraz, Andy Murray's 41 weeks at No. 1 were consecutive. In 2016, Murray had the best season of his career, winning his second Wimbledon title, his second Olympic gold, and nine titles overall, surpassing Djokovic to hold the No. 1 ranking until August 2017 before yielding it to Rafael Nadal.

This achievement placed Murray 14th on the list of players with the most weeks at No. 1 in history, but he was later overtaken by Sinner and will be surpassed by Alcaraz starting next week.

Nevertheless, Alcaraz still has a long way to go if he wants to catch Djokovic's record — who has held the No. 1 spot for 428 weeks, the longest in history. At 22 years old, time is still on Alcaraz's side. If he maintains the No. 1 ranking until Djokovic's current age, the Spaniard could reach 853 weeks at the top.

Djokovic does not hold the record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1; that belongs to Roger Federer, who held it for 237 weeks from February 2004 to August 2008. Djokovic had 122 consecutive weeks at No. 1, while Alcaraz's best streak is 20 weeks (from September 2022 to January 2023). Sinner currently ranks 11th for consecutive weeks at No. 1 with 65 weeks.