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On Monday, November 13, Novak Djokovic was officially presented with the year-end World No. 1 trophy for the 2023 season, his eighth time lifting the cup.
After winning the Paris Masters earlier this month, the Serb needed just one win at the ATP Finals in Turin to secure the top spot in the ATP rankings for the end of the year. He did just that in his first match at the tournament, downing Holger Rune in a three-hour thriller on Sunday.
With the confirmation coming, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi presented him with the year-end trophy the following day. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, dressed smartly in a green polo and green pants, lifted it high in the air and bestowed a kiss on the trophy - his eighth time doing so.
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No man in ATP history has more year-end World No. 1 finishes to their name, with Pete Sampras coming in second with six. Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have five each to their name.
Prior to this year, Djokovic ended the season as the No. 1 ranked men's tennis player in the world in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Last year, it was Carlos Alcaraz who finished the year at the top of the rankings.
The Spaniard is currently ranked World No. 2 and had an outside chance of retaking the top spot at the ATP Finals before Djokovic's win over Rune.
Speaking at the ceremony, Novak Djokovic was understandably ecstatic, stating that he felt blessed to have lifted the "crown of the season" at the end of a long year.
"Well, it's obviously the crown of the season. Finishing the year as the World No. 1, I think is a dream of every tennis player. It's one of the most difficult things in the sport. Obviously winning Grand Slams and being No. 1 in the world are probably the pinnacles of the sport. It's been a very long year for all the players and to be able to stand here is a blessing," Djokovic said.
"Anything that happens from this moment onwards in the ATP Finals is a bonus for me" - Novak Djokovic
Speaking after his win over Holger Rune in his ATP Finals opener, Novak Djokovic admitted that he had not started the year with the priority of finishing as the World No. 1. He noted that he was focused on winning Grand Slams.
Regardless, the Serb was glad to have secured top spot in Turin, and was of the opinion that anything more he achieved in the tournament was just a bonus. The defending champion at the ATP Finals this year, the six-time winner will overtake Roger Federer's record for most titles at the event if he goes all the way this week.
"At the beginning of the year, I really wasn't prioritizing that, I must say. I was prioritizing more Grand Slams. Because of the great results, particularly in Grand Slams, accumulated points, I think I put myself in a very good position to fight for year-end No. 1. Winning Paris put me in a great position. So I really went for it," Djokovic said to the press.
"Anything that happens from this moment onwards I guess in this tournament is a bonus for me," he added.
On his way to ending the season as the World No. 1, Novak Djokovic won three out of the four Slams - the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. He also won two Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati and Paris.
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