Novak Djokovic breaks Roger Federer's record for most weeks as ATP world No. 1

Novak Djokovic has broken Roger Federer's record for most weeks as the ATP world No. 1, holding the top spot for the 311th week in Monday's rankings.

Djokovic's record-breaking ranking was guaranteed last month when he won the Australian Open for the ninth time in his career.

Djokovic, 33, has held the ATP's top ranking for 36 consecutive weeks since claiming the spot from Rafael Nadal in February 2020, and is in his fifth separate stint as world No. 1.

"It really excites me to walk the path of legends and giants of this sport," Djokovic said in a statement released Monday by the ATP. "To know that I have earned my place among them by following my childhood dream is a beautiful confirmation that when you do things out of love and passion, everything is possible."

The 18-time Grand Slam champion has finished the season as the world No. 1 six times, tied with Pete Sampras for the most all time.

"Novak's many achievements in tennis are nothing short of extraordinary," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said. "Among them this record may stand as his single most impressive. Reaching No. 1 is something many players dream of and very few ever accomplish, and to have held the top spot for longer than anyone is testament to the levels of sustained excellence that Novak has redefined in our sport."

After his Australian Open victory last month, Djokovic acknowledged that he will "adapt" and "adjust" his tournament schedule -- with the priority of passing Federer's and Nadal's shared record of 20 Grand Slam titles.

The top four in Monday's latest rankings were unchanged with Nadal remaining at No. 2, followed by Daniil Medvedev -- who lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open final -- and Dominic Thiem. Stefanos Tsitsipas moved up one spot to No. 5 ahead of Federer, who fell one spot to No. 6.