Novak Djokovic clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking after defeating Danish Holger Rune in his first 2023 ATP Finals group stage match. Djokovic, playing in Turin, Italy, was part of the Green Group along with Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Serbian also aimed to secure his seventh title at the tournament and keep his top spot from Carlos Alcaraz. Despite Rune’s best efforts, Djokovic emerged victoriously with a 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3 score, ending Alcaraz’s chances of finishing the season atop the ATP Rankings.
Djokovic’s 400th week as World No. 1 is confirmed when the rankings are updated on November 20, further extending his lead over Pete Sampras, who has six year-end No. 1 finishes. Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, and Rafael Nadal are next on the list with five finishes each. Djokovic expressed in his on-court interview that he felt the significance of the match against Rune and the added pressure of potentially clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking. The 24-time Grand Slam champion plans to surpass Roger Federer’s ATP Finals title record (six) and faces challenging group stage matches against Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
