Jannik Sinner is marking a huge milestone this week, celebrating his 40th week atop the ATP rankings—a feat that makes him the 16th player to reach that mark since 1973. The Italian has now equaled Ilie Nastase’s tally and is set to overtake Andy Murray and Gustavo Kuerten within the next four weeks. By April, he’ll climb to 13th on the all-time list with at least 44 weeks at No. 1, with Jim Courier’s 58-week record as his next target. Sinner seized the top spot in June last year and has fiercely guarded it for nine months, with no signs of slowing down.
Since the start of 2024, Sinner has been unstoppable, racking up 93 wins in his last 100 matches dating back to late 2023. His golden run hit a snag in March 2024 when he tested positive twice for the banned steroid Clostebol, leading to a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The world No. 1 agreed to a three-month suspension, sidelining him until May 4 and paving the way for a comeback at the Rome Masters 1000. While he’ll miss four Masters events, his lead remains intact—Alexander Zverev’s recent struggles at tournaments have kept the gap wide, giving Sinner a strong shot at holding No. 1 until his return.
Sinner’s 2024 was a masterclass, with 73 victories in 79 matches and eight ATP titles. He left rivals in the dust, dominating hard courts with two Majors, three Masters 1000 wins, and the ATP Finals crown. It all began at the Australian Open, where, at 22, he toppled Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev for his first Major. Titles in Rotterdam and Miami solidified his ATP Race lead, though hip troubles hampered his clay season. He pulled out of Rome but still reached the Roland Garros semi-finals, falling to Carlos Alcaraz despite a two-sets-to-one edge. That effort earned him enough points to dethrone Djokovic, making him the 29th world No. 1.
As No. 1, Sinner nabbed his first title in Halle and hit the Wimbledon quarters. After skipping the Olympics, he roared back on hard courts, winning Cincinnati and the US Open. He kept rolling, beating Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters final and capping the year by sweeping the ATP Finals in Turin without dropping a set. Sinner then led Italy to a Davis Cup title defense in Malaga, sealing a historic season.
At this year’s Australian Open, he was the man to beat. Defending his title, he dropped just two sets across seven matches, crushing Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in the final for his third straight hard-court Major. Off-court, though, his doping saga loomed large. After nearly a year of scrutiny, Sinner struck a deal with WADA, accepting a suspension from February 9 to May 4 and forfeiting 1600 points. No Majors were missed, and he’s poised to return in Rome—likely still as world No. 1.
