Tennis Rankings 2016: Where Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal And Roger Federer Finished The Year

Andy Murray became just the 17th player to end the year ranked No. 1 in the world, after clinching top spot in the most dramatic way possible. For the first time in the history of the men’s tour, the prize of finishing the year on top of the world came down to the final match.

Murray had been the dominant player in the second half of the year and usurped Novak Djokovic to take the No. 1 spot for the first time in his career two weeks ago. It was fitting therefore that the two men met in the final of the ATP World Tour finals in London on Sunday. And it was a contest that was true to the form guide.

Murray, the first British man to top the rankings, triumphed in straight sets against Djokovic, whose lead atop the rankings had looked insurmountable when he followed up victory at the Australian Open by landing the French Open title in June.

Djokovic had finished the last two years, and three of the last four, as world No. 1, but it is now Murray who will begin 2017 as the man every other player is looking to topple.

“I would like to try and stay there, obviously,” Murray said in a press conference after his win at London’s O2 Arena. “It's taken a huge effort the last five, six months to get there. I would obviously like to stay there. I'm aware that's going to be extremely difficult because I had a great year this year. I only managed to do it by one match. To repeat that again next year is going to be extremely difficult.”

Murray ended 2016 on a 24-match winning streak. And since his defeat to Djokovic in the final of the French Open, he posted a 44-2 record, encompassing seven titles, including his second Wimbledon crown. Those numbers don’t even include his Olympic gold medal, for which he received no ranking points. Had the same points been allocated in Rio as they were in London four years ago, Murray’s position at the top of the rankings would have been settled without the need for Sunday’s final drama.

As it was, Murray came within a single point of losing top spot when saving a match point in his semifinal against Milos Raonic. Even with that loss, the Canadian rose up a spot in the rankings to finish 2016 in a career-high position of No. 3. U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka moved down to fourth after exiting in London at the round-robin stage.

The rankings reflect the shakeup of the “Big Four” era in 2016. Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have endured years significantly hampered by injury. Federer first suffered a knee injury following his loss to Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open and eventually called time on his year after Wimbledon in order to recover fully for 2017. The Swiss, who has spent a record 302 weeks at No. 1, ends the year ranked at 16, the first time he has finished a season outside of the world’s top 10 since 2001.

It is a similar story for Nadal. The Spaniard returned to the tour after withdrawing from the French Open because of a wrist injury but his efforts to get back on the court for the Olympics caused him further pain and led him to announcing his year was done after the Shanghai Masters in October. The 14-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, ends 2016 ranked at No. 9, the lowest he has finished a year since 2004, when he was aged just 18.

Despite the drop off of Federer and Nadal, the next generation has still not been able to step up and claim the sport’s biggest prizes. Indeed, 23-year-old Dominic Thiem, at a career high of No. 8, is the only player aged under 25 ranked inside the top 10.

ATP Year-End Rankings 2016
1. Andy Murray
2. Novak Djokovic
3. Milos Raonic
4. Stan Wawrinka
5. Kei Nishikori
6. Marin Cilic
7. Gael Monfils
8. Dominic Thiem
9. Rafael Nadal
10. Tomas Berdych
11. David Goffin
12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
13. Nick Kyrgios
14. Roberto Bautista-Agut
15. Lucas Pouille
16. Roger Federer
17. Grigor Dimitrov
18. Richard Gasquet
19. John Isner
20. Ivo Karlovic