Kontinen creates history with rise to No.1

There’s a new world No.1 in men’s doubles – and for the first time in history it is a Finnish player.

Henri Kontinen has overtaken Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at the top of the ATP World Tour rankings, ending his 38-week reign.

The 26-year-old also becomes the youngest player to reach the top spot since the Bryan brothers (at age 25) in September 2003.

“I never set out to be No. 1, you always try to improve and string together results to build up confidence. But it’s pretty cool to know I’ve got to No. 1,” Kontinen told ATPWorldTour.com.

Kontinen was ranked outside the top 40 in April 2016, but has enjoyed a meteoric rise alongside Australian partner John Peers. The duo have built a 25-6 record since mid-October, scooping the ATP World Tour Final and Australian Open titles in the process.

Peers, who is now ranked a career-best No.2, congratulated his partner.

“It really is an amazing accomplishment for Henri to become world No. 1 and the first Finnish player to do so as well,” Peers said. “He continues to break records for Finnish tennis and the sky is the limit for him. It certainly is a great feeling to be able to do what we have done together so far. I am hoping this is just the start of what we can accomplish.”

Kontinen was a talented junior, winning the French Open boys’ doubles title in 2008 and reaching the Wimbledon boys’ singles final the same year (losing to Grigor Dimitrov).

He was hampered by knee, shoulder and wrist injuries early in his professional career and in 2013 decided to focus on doubles.

“(They were) certainly the toughest moments of my career, being so young and realising that a career of playing tennis in the future might not happen,” Kontinen said.

“Injuries are a part of the deal when you play sport. I was unlucky early on, but I worked hard on my fitness to get stronger, and now manage my knee and be careful.”

Kontinen is the 50th man in ATP World Tour history to be ranked No.1 in doubles.