Jannik Sinner may have walked away from Roland Garros without the trophy, but he’s still the man on top. The Italian admitted the loss gave him “sleepless nights,” and honestly, who could blame him? That French Open final was a heartbreaker. But there was a silver lining: As Carlos Alcaraz was defending his title in Paris, Sinner managed to hold on to his World No.1 crown. He first reached the summit on June 10, 2024, dethroning Novak Djokovic. And now, a year later, he has passed another record by the 24-time Grand Slam champion in a full-circle moment!

Let’s rewind to how it all began. Jannik Sinner dethroned Djokovic in June 2024 and immediately followed it up with a title in Halle. He then extended his lead by winning Cincinnati and the US Open, all part of a 15-match winning streak. That run finally ended in the Beijing final. But the 23-year-old wasn’t done. Sinner went on to win Shanghai and the Nitto ATP Finals. Then came the Australian Open, where he defended his title like a boss. Even a 3-month doping ban couldn’t stop his reign. After returning, he also made it to the final in Rome, racking up 26 straight wins along the way.

Today, Sinner officially kicks off his 54th straight week at the top of the PIF ATP Rankings. That puts him past Novak Djokovic’s first run of 53 weeks as No.1.

Now, here’s where the record books come in. Djokovic’s first stint at No.1 started on July 4, 2011, after his maiden Wimbledon title. That run lasted 53 straight weeks until Roger Federer took over on July 9, 2012.

Sinner just overtook that number, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. But there are still giants ahead of him. Jimmy Connors had an incredible 160-week run from 1974 to 1977. Lleyton Hewitt logged 75 weeks during his first reign from 2001 to 2003. And then there’s Roger Federer! The Swiss Maestro started his first run at No.1 on February 2, 2004, and didn’t let go until August 18, 2008. That’s a whopping 237 weeks. Four years. Six months. Two weeks. Federer’s first reign remains the longest in ATP history.

So, how safe is Jannik Sinner’s position at the top? Pretty solid. He currently has 10,880 points, giving him a cushion of 2,030 over Carlos Alcaraz, who’s sitting at 8,850. And there’s room to grow. Sinner is defending 500 points in Halle this week, where he won last year. But at Wimbledon, he’s only defending 400 points after a quarterfinal exit in 2024. Alcaraz? He’s got 2,000 points on the line from his win at SW19 last year.

That means Sinner could extend his lead even further; his ranking has only gone up since he returned to the tour. He came into Rome with 9,730 points and left Roland Garros with 10,880. That’s a big leap, and the gap at the top could stretch even further.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is feeling the slide in the rankings, and this could threaten his chances at Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon campaign in danger as Jannik Sinner looms large

Novak Djokovic still has eyes on history, though. He’s chasing his 25th major title, which would move him ahead of Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles ever. His best shot? Wimbledon, if you ask him.

But here’s the catch: he’s not playing any warm-up events on grass. That has hurt his ranking. The Serbian climbed back up to No. 4 in the live rankings after a strong run to the French Open semi-finals, where he fell to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. But a week later, he’s already dropped again. That’s because Taylor Fritz had something to say. The American won Stuttgart and leapfrogged Djokovic to take back the No.4 spot. Now, the 24-time Grand Slam champ is down to No.5.

The top four seeds in a Slam avoid each other until at least the semi-finals. Djokovic won’t get that luxury if he enters Wimbledon as No.5. While Sinner and Alcaraz have been trading the major titles since Djokovic won the 2023 US Open, the Serbian has been left waiting.

As Novak Djokovic slips further in the rankings, the Italian continues to tighten his grip on the throne. Will Djokovic find a way to fight back, or has the Sinner-Alcaraz era truly begun?