The Serb is back on the top of the pile for the first time in two years, at the end of a roller-coaster season for the 14-time major winner
Serbias Novak Djokovic arrives for his mens singles final tennis match against Russias Karen Khachanov, on day seven of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 - Rolex Paris Masters - indoor tennis tournament at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris, on November 4, 2018
Novak Djokovic-s return to the world number one spot, just five months after slumping to his lowest ranking in 12 years, leaves little doubt that he is one of the sport-s greats.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Serb is back on the top of the pile for the first time in two years, at the end of a roller-coaster season for the 14-time major winner. Djokovic, 31, underwent elbow surgery in January and slipped to 22nd in the world after a depressing quarter-final exit at Roland Garros in June, which left him briefly threatening to skip Wimbledon.
But he regrouped, romped to a fourth Wimbledon title the following month, a 32nd Masters in Cincinnati and then a third triumph at the US Open in September. Despite his loss in the final of the Paris Masters to Karen Khachanov on Sunday -- which ended a 22-match win streak -- his record since the start of Wimbledon stands at 31-2.
"Reflecting on what I-ve been through in the last year, it-s quite a phenomenal achievement," said Djokovic, who has knocked Rafael Nadal from the world top spot. "I-m very, very happy and proud about it. Five months ago, it was highly improbable considering my ranking and the way I played and felt on the court."
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever