After spending 76 weeks as the second best player in the world, Andy Murray has finally fulfilled his childhood dream by dethroning Novak Djokovic from the top.
Continuing his current run of fine form on the tour, the Wimbledon champion achieved the milestone without lifting his racket. A place in the final at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris was required to make Murray the first British man to top the ATP rankings. Set to play Milos Raonic in the semifinals on Saturday, Murray was elevated to the final after the Canadian was forced to withdraw due to injury.
“I never thought I’d be number one in the world,” he told BBC Sport.
“It’s been many years of work to get here. It’s been such a difficult thing to do because of how good the guys around me have been.”
Murray’s rise to the top comes after what has been a sensational season for the Glasgow-born player. From the start of the year, Murray has reached 11 finals in 12 tournaments. Since January, he has won five ATP titles, a gold medal at the Olympic Games and the Wimbledon title. Murray is currently on a 19-match winning streak heading into tomorrow’s Paris Final.
“To get to this stage is about 12 months of tournaments. The last few months have been the best of my career and I’m very proud to get to this moment.” Said Murray.
Ending Djokovic’s run of 122 weeks as world No.1, a proud Murray reflected on his joy of reaching the top in what is regarded as the ‘golden era’ of men’s tennis. Battling on the tour with rivals Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the 29-year-old acknowledges how tough is has been for him to peak at the top.
“It’s been such a difficult thing to do during my career because of how good the guys around me have been, the guys ahead of me,” said Murray.
“It has been really, really hard to do it, been really difficult. Obviously they are three of the best players that have ever played the game.”
At the age of 29, Murray is the second oldest man in history to debut as world No.1 on the ATP Tour. The oldest was John Newcombe, who achieved the top spot when he was 30-years-old in 1974.
The legends pay tribute
Murray’s new position hasn’t come without years of hard work. Since talking about his goal of entering the top 100 after winning the 2005 Comerica Bank Challenger, the Brit has pushed himself to the limits, handled the high expectations of his country, and competed in an era with some of the all-time greats to get where he is today. It an achievement that has been praised by the legends of the sport.
Congrats @andy_murray for becoming the new #1 @ATPWorldTour ! Welcome to a very small club of members being the best in their profession…
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) 5 November 2016
We have a new 👑 in town. Congrats Sir @andy_murray
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) 5 November 2016
What a wonderful year for @andy_murray Congratulations on making history as the new #1
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) 5 November 2016
Congratulations @andy_murray for reaching the pinnacle of our sport- #1!!! And that’s not a hash tag- that is #1:). 👍
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) 5 November 2016
11.5 years as a professional
798 matches
42 career titles
1 sporting pinnacle reached@andy_murray is the new world No.1! 🌍 👏 pic.twitter.com/G9UKdVwt8y— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) 5 November 2016
Isner showdown awaits
There will be little time for Murray to celebrate as he prepares for a clash against John Isner in Sunday’s final at the BNP Paribas Masters. Isner progressed to his first Masters final since 2013 by defeating Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, with the help of 18 aces.
“[Facing Andy] is going to be a huge challenge for me, but that’s what makes this game so awesome and so tough at the same time. There are so many great players, and Andy, of course, is one of the all-time greats in my opinion.” Said Isner.
Murray currently has a 7-0 head-to-head record against Isner. He has already played the American twice this year, winning both matches in straight sets. A win on Sunday will see the Brit overtake Boris Becker on the all-time list for the most Masters titles.
