Many male tennis players have achieved greatness by winning major titles, but never reached the world No. 1 ranking to go with it.
Some examples include three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, neither of whom even broke into the top two.
The ranking as the best goes hand in hand with the biggest titles in the sport, and there is only one man who reached the top of the rankings ladder who didn’t also secure a Major in his career: Marcelo Ríos.
His Closest Attempt at Grand Slam Glory
Ríos’ one crack in a Grand Slam final came at the Australian Open, where he took on Petr Korda, who dominated the match to win 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
It was a disappointing defeat for the Chilean, who had beaten Korda in the first round a year earlier.
Despite becoming the champion, Korda only rose to world No. 2 and never reached the top spot.
However, shortly after that final, his opponent would…
How Ríos Earned World No. 1 Status
Masters events, while not as prestigious or important as Grand Slam events, carry significant weight in rankings.
Ríos came back fighting after the loss in Australia, winning back-to-back Masters: Indian Wells and the Miami Open. At the end of March, he officially became the best tennis player on the planet, overtaking the great Pete Sampras, who had been ranked at the top for 102 weeks.
After just four weeks at the top, Sampras regained his throne.
Second Spell at the Top
Ríos won the Italian Open in Rome in May; this was his third Masters victory that year, and it helped propel him back above Sampras for two weeks in August, only for the American to once again take it back.
It was a remarkable season for Ríos, who won seven titles, including a Grand Slam Cup after seeing off Andre Agassi across five sets in the final.
Final Years Competing
After respective ankle and back injuries in 2001 and 2002, Ríos was never the same player and bowed out with 18 ATP titles to his name, and just one appearance in a Major final; aside from Australia in 1998, he never actually made it past the quarter-final stage at any other.
While Ivan Lendl also rose to the top position without lifting a Slam in 1983, he finished his career with an impressive two Australian Opens and three titles at both Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows.
Ríos’ run of dominance at Masters competitions was impressive, as were his two spells at world No. 1. However, the vast majority of players would hope to achieve the feat as a Grand Slam champion, and if presented with the choice of one or the other, would opt for a major title.