ATP rankings a treasure trove of stats

The ATP World Tour this week published the 2016 year-end rankings after a memorable and exciting season that saw Andy Murray clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking on the final day of the season at the ATP Finals.

For the first time since rankings were introduced in 1973, there were 10 different countries represented in the year-end Top 10.

There were four new players in the year-end top 10 from last season – Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem.  Monfils and Thiem are first-time additions while Raonic and Cilic are in the year-end Top 10 for the second time.

The top 10 of 2016

The year-end rankings also unearthed some other interesting facts and figures …

> For the first time since 2007 France led all countries with 12 players in the Top 100 (including seven in the Top 50). Spain followed with 10 in the Top 100, including an ATP World Tour-high nine in the Top 50

> Despite losing year-end No.1 ranking, Djokovic has been in the top two every week since March 21, 2011.

> The only other players aside from Djokovic to finish in the top three for 10 or more consecutive years are Jimmy Connors (12), Ivan Lendl (10) and Federer (10).

> Six players in the Top 15 finished the season with career-high rankings: Murray (No.1), Raonic (No.3), Cilic (No.6), David Goffin (No.11), Nick Kyrgios (No.13) and Lucas Pouille (No.15).

> Of all players ending 2016 in the top 100, Juan Martin del Potro, who jumped from No. 581 in 2015 to No. 38, enjoyed the biggest ranking improvement from last season (543 spots). On 8 February he dropped to No.1045.

> Teenager Alexander Zverev finished a year-end best No.24; the 19-year-old German is the first teenager to finish in the Top 25 since Djokovic (No. 16) and Murray (No. 17) in 2006.

> Zverev and American Taylor Fritz, who finished as the youngest player in the Top 100 at No.76, were the two teenagers in the year-end top 100.

> Ivo Karlovic, 37, finished the season at No.20; he is the oldest player in the year-end top 20 since Ken Rosewall (43), who ended 1977 ranked No.12.

> Andy and Jamie Murray are the first brothers to finish No.1 in the singles and doubles team rankings respectively. They are also only brothers to be No. 1 in singles and doubles at any time, with Jamie atop the individual doubles rankings for nine weeks earlier this season.

> Nicolas Mahut is first Frenchman to finish a season at No. 1 in singles or doubles.

> Jack Sock (No. 23 singles, No. 16 doubles) and Feliciano Lopez (No. 28 singles, No. 11 doubles) finished season with highest combined singles and doubles ranking. Six players overall ended the year in Top 50 of both singles and doubles.