Tennis star Novak Djokovic has finished the 2020 season at number one in the world rankings.
Men's Professional Tennis ATP Tour announced that "Djokovic has secured the world's No. 1 ranking at the end of this year," and "This is Pete Sampress's 6-time year-end world No. 1 and highest tie record."
Djokovic was expected to be ranked No. 1 in the world at the end of the year according to the results of the world's second largest Rafael Nadal at the Sofia Open next week in Sofia, Bulgaria.
However, with Nadal's decision to abstain from the Sofia Open, Djokovic will remain at the top of the world until the end of this year, regardless of the results of the competition remaining this year.
Tennis is ranked based on the performance of the past year, so the year-end world ranking is the criterion for determining who performed the best during the year.
Djokovic ranked first in the world at the end of the year for the 6th time in his career, following 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018.
This is the same rate as the world's #1 record at the end of the year, the most held by Sampress.
Sampress was the world's No. 1 at the end of the year for six consecutive years from 1993 to 1998.
Nadal, Roger Federer, and Jimmy Connors, side by side, are followed by five times in the world at the end of the year.
Djokovic, born in May 1987, also set the world's oldest year-end record (33 years and 7 months).
The previous record was Nadal's 33 years and 6 months, the world's number one at the end of last year.
Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer ranked number one in the world for the last 17 years from 2004 to this year, taking turns 16 times.
The only exception was Andy Murray (UK) in 2016.
(Photo = Getty Image Korea)