Novak Djokovic equals Rafael Nadal’s Top-2 record: 596 weeks of dominance

Novak Djokovic is the second player with 596 top-2 weeks

Alongside many other achievements, Novak Djokovic secured another massive ranking record on Monday. The 24-time Major winner joined Rafael Nadal at the top of the list with 596 top-2 weeks, following his most significant rival on a notable accomplishment.

Djokovic is skipping this week’s Cincinnati Masters, losing 1000 ATP points and putting his top-2 streak in danger. If Carlos Alcaraz reaches the quarter-final, he will pass the Serb, preventing him from taking the record away from Nadal.

Novak is the defending US Open champion, having to defend 2000 ATP points in New York if he wants to stay in touch with Alcaraz and Sinner. At 37 years and two months, Djokovic is the second-oldest top-2 player, passing Roger Federer and standing only behind Ken Rosewall.

Novak cracked the top-3 in July 2007, standing as the closest rival of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Serb had a couple of chances to enter the top-2 and make another step on the list.

However, he wasted them and waited until February 2010 to finally separate Federer and Nadal and start his top-2 journey.

Djokovic had three top-2 runs that year, still finishing third on the year-end ranking list. Novak made a perfect start to the 2011 season, leaving everyone behind and settling in the top-2 in March. The era of the mighty Serb became, and he embraced 325 consecutive top-2 weeks, staying there until May 2017 and almost breaking Federer’s record.

Struggling with an elbow injury, Novak could not challenge the rivals from the top in the next 12 months, dropping out from the top-20 and showing return signs in May 2018. Djokovic conquered Wimbledon and the US Open in the upcoming months, performing an incredible comeback and embracing another top-2 streak in October.