Youngest tennis player to be ranked world No.1 – ATP rankings

Upon winning the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York City on 11 September 2022, Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, b. 5 May 2003) became the youngest player to reach the No.1 position since the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) introduced their weekly rankings system in August 1973. Alcaraz was 19 years 129 days old when he defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 6–4, 2–6, 7–6, 6–3 in the US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with his No.1 status rubberstamped when the ATP rankings were updated the following day.

Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt (b. 24 Feb 1981) captured the ATP’s No.1 ranking at the Masters Cup (currently known as the ATP Finals) on 16 November 2001, at the age of 20 years 265 days, and was previously the youngest man to occupy the ATP’s No.1 spot. The youngest-ever No.1-ranked player was 13-time Grand Slam champion Lew Hoad (Australia, b. 23 November 1934), who was 19 years 38 days old when he topped the year-end Tennis de France magazine rankings for 1953. This was, however, two decades before reliable points-based ATP rankings were introduced in 1973.

With his victory at Flushing Meadows, in his first Grand Slam final, Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a major title since Rafael Nadal (b. 3 June 1986) triumphed at the French Open on 5 June 2005, at the age of 19 years 2 days. The US Open showdown was the first men’s final between two players competing for both their first Grand Slam title and the No.1 ranking, and the first Grand Slam men’s final featuring two players who have never been world No.1 competing for the No.1 ranking.