Novak Djokovic returned to No. 1 on Monday after a two-year absence, assuring that he will become the first man in the history of the ATP rankings to finish a season in the top spot after being outside the top 20 during that season.
That’s because the man he overtook, Rafael Nadal, announced that he was done for 2018. Nadal withdrew from the ATP Finals on Monday, citing an abdominal injury, and announced he would have arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle.
Djokovic will be the ATP’s year-ending No. 1 player for the fifth time, pulling even with Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors for the second-most since the computer rankings were introduced in 1973.