Today in History
Remembering Murray’s Journey to No. 1 in 2016
Andy Murray dominated the PIF ATP Rankings for 41 weeks, marking a significant milestone.
November 07, 2025
Image Credit: Getty Images
Andy Murray clinched nine titles in 2016, claiming his first World No. 1 ranking in November.
Author: Sam Jacot
On this day in 2016, Andy Murray ended the Big Three’s astonishing 666-week reign at the No. 1 spot, triumphantly overtaking Novak Djokovic in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Having spent a substantial part of 2015 in the Top 3, Murray kicked off 2016 by reaching the final of what would be his last Australian Open. Although he was bested by Djokovic in that match, he fought back, challenging the Serbian once more in the Madrid final just a few months later. However, a well-earned victory awaited him in Rome, where he seized his first ATP Masters 1000 title of the season, followed by another exhilarating run to the final at Roland Garros.
As the grass-court season approached, this year took a turn for the triumphant. At the age of 29, Murray shone on the lawns of London, capturing both the Queen’s Club title and Wimbledon, making him only the seventh player to ever achieve the Queen’s-Wimbledon double—an honor later matched by Alcaraz in 2023.
Transitioning to the North American hard-court swing, Murray reached the Cincinnati final and the US Open quarter-finals. Entering Beijing in early October, he trailed World No. 1 Djokovic by a staggering 4,695 points. But after securing 10 straight-set wins over two weeks in China, excitement surged in the 2016 race for the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.
Murray lifted his season tally to six titles with a victory in Beijing, later followed by a seventh title at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai. These wins slashed Djokovic’s lead from 4,695 points to just 2,415. His winning streak continued as he returned to Europe.
He made headlines yet again by winning the ATP 500 indoor-hard event in Vienna, positioning himself within striking distance of Djokovic, then capturing his 14th and ultimately final ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris. With Djokovic only reaching the quarter-finals there, Murray’s rise to No. 1 became a reality, joining the ranks of tennis greats.
At the Nitto ATP Finals held two weeks later, Murray triumphed over Djokovic once more in the title match, solidifying his status as the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF, effectively wrapping up an incredible year. With a remarkable record of 78 wins and 9 losses according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Murray’s ascent came to a pinnacle, lasting 41 weeks at world No. 1 before Rafael Nadal took the lead in August 2017.
