The 16 ATP world No 1’s to congratulate Jannik Sinner in special video – including Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg and Andre Agassi

As of Monday, Jannik Sinner is a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in men’s tennis.

The Italian is just the 29th man in history to rise to the world No 1 singles ranking, after a year that has seen him capture his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open .

Sinner has emulated legends of the sport and several have taken the time to congratulate him in a special video shared by the ATP.

We take you through all of the 16 former world No 1’s who congratulated Sinner – and share part of the message they sent him.

Andre Agassi

Tennis icon Agassi became the 12th No 1 in April 1995 and spent a total of 101 weeks at the top.

He said: “Let me be one of many to congratulate you on being the No 1 tennis player in the world. That is one heck of an achievement and I can’t think of anyone that deserves it more than you. Here’s kind of a cool way to look at it: If the universe had a tennis tournament, Earth would pick you.”

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Roger Federer

The 20-time Grand Slam winner has the record for most consecutive weeks at No 1 – 237 during the mid-2000s – while spending 310 weeks in total as the best player in the world.

He said: “Hey Jannik, many congratulations also from my side to become world No 1. I think this is for me personally, maybe the ultimate achievement, and I’m sure you are incredibly happy and you should be so proud. I’m sure also Italy is loving you right now as they should, being the first Italian player ever to be world No 1.”

Andy Murray

One of two active former No 1’s in the video, Murray rose to world No 1 for the first time in November 2016 and spent 41 weeks at the top.

He said: “I just wanted to send you a message to say congrats on getting to world No 1 for the first time. Very well deserved – you’ve had an incredible year. I know how difficult it is to get there, but you fully deserve it.

Gustavo Kuerten

One of just two South American world No 1’s, three-time French Open champion Kuerten held the esteemed ranking for 43 weeks.

He said: “Jannik, congratulations. What an achievement my friend. This is a one-of-a-kind accomplishment you did. You deserve it – all your team and family – we are in great hands.”

John McEnroe

McEnroe spent a record 14 separate spells as world No 1 during his career, totalling 170 weeks.

He said: “You are a class act, you are a great young kid, and you are so good for the game. And finally, and most importantly, welcome to the club. I’m sure the Italians are going crazy.

Daniil Medvedev

The man Sinner beat to win the Australian Open title this January, Medvedev is currently world No 5 and was the No 1 player in the world for 16 weeks in 2022.

He said: “Hi Jannik, big congratulations on being the new world No 1. It’s a huge achievement, you 100% deserve it. You have been playing amazing, better than anyone through the last 365 days. I know how hard you worked for it so I hope you can enjoy this achievement.”

Andy Roddick

The last US male player to win a singles Slam, at the 2003 US Open, Roddick was No 13 for 13 weeks between the end of 2003 and the start of 2024.

He said: “Just wanted to give a huge shout-out on this monumental accomplishment. I know that it takes a lifetime of work and I also know that the tour never stops. I hope you find a little bit of time to sit back and take in what you’ve accomplished.”

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Bjorn Borg

A true legend of the game, 11-time Grand Slam winner Borg spent 109 weeks at world No 1 across the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He said: “Jannik, you are No 1 player in the world and congratulations to you. I know how difficult it is to be the best player in the world, and I hope you’re going to stay for a long time. I know you have a new generation after you but you made a point, and I hope you’re going to stay for many weeks to come.

Lleyton Hewitt

The second-youngest ATP No 1 of all time, two-time major winner Hewitt spent 80 weeks as the best player in the world – putting him 10th on the all-time weeks list.

He said: “Congrats Jannik on being the new world No 1. An incredible achievement – it’s every kid’s dream when they first pick up a tennis racket, to finally climb the mountain. I know how hard you and your team have worked.”

Pat Rafter

Two-time US Open winner Rafter is the shortest-reigning world No 1 in history, with a solitary week at the summit of the sport – something he joked about in his message.

He said: “Congrats on becoming the new world No 1 – you deserve it. I love watching you play. Hope you have a really long stint at No 1 as well, a bit longer than me – one week! I think you can beat that.”

Ilie Nastase

Romanian Nastase was the first ever ATP No 1 when the rankings were introduced in 1973, holding the top spot for 40 weeks.

He said: “Jannik, congratulations and stay there as long as you can because you deserve it.”

Jim Courier

Now one of the most respected pundits in the sport, four-time major winner Courier spent 58 weeks as No 1 during the early 1990s.

He said: “I just want to send a personal congratulations to you for reaching the top of the mountain. Every player dreams of it but not many get the chance to make it happen, but it’s been obvious from the first day you came on tour that you had a mission, a goal, and nothing was going to stop you from becoming the best that you can be.”

Mats Wilander

One of the faces of Eurosport’s tennis coverage, seven-time Slam champion Wilander spent 20 weeks as No 1 off the back of his historic 1988 season.

He said: “Jannik, congratulations and welcome to the world No 1 club. I’m in there – I was only No 1 for about 24 hours – I’m sure you’re going to do better than that, but great job. We always knew that you were going to be very close to it – and now you’re there.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

One of the best players of the late 1990s and early 2000s, two-time major winner and Olympic gold medallist Kafelnikov spent six weeks at the top of the rankings.

He said: “I would like to congratulate you with one of the greatest achievements in men’s tennis – reaching world No 1 ranking. It’s a pinnacle that most tennis players only dream about, and I know that all the hard work you put in paid off. I want you to continue to bring excitement to all the Italian fans and fans all over the world with your game.”

Boris Becker

During one of the most competitive eras in ATP history, Becker spent 12 weeks at the top alongside his six major titles.

He said: “Welcome to this very exclusive club with just a few members – you are one of them now because you deserve it. I wish you lots of luck and happiness in the future. This has just started – this is the beginning of a long career you’re going to have.”

Stefan Edberg

The final man in the video was another six-time Slam winner in the form of Edberg, who spent 72 weeks as world No 1.

He said: “Congratulations Jannik on reaching No 1 in the world. You’re in good company, it’s an incredible achievement at this stage in your career, and I wish you all the best going forward.”

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