rogerfederer.com - Roger Backed By Fans To Regain No. 1 Ranking

Roger Backed By Fans To Regain No. 1 Ranking

Rafael Nadal may have ended the season as ATP World No. 1, but ATPtennis.com fans believe that Roger will reclaim the year-end No. 1 ranking in 2009.

In a poll of more than 55,000 fans, so far 43 per cent of ATPtennis.com readers believe that our champ will join Ivan Lendl as the only player to regain the year-end No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings after losing it. Lendl claimed the year-end No. 1 ranking in 1985, '86 and '87 before finishing No. 2 behind Mats Wilander in 1988. He then regained the year-end No. 1 in 1989 and remains the only player in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973) to achieve that feat.

Quick Poll: Who will finish No. 1 at the end of 2009?

(The poll is still running, click on the link below to cast your vote)

Player (Percentage of vote)

Roger Federer (43%)

Rafael Nadal (35%)

Novak Djokovic (11%)

Andy Murray (8%)

Other (3%)

Roger, who lost the No. 1 ranking to Nadal after a record 237 consecutive-week stint on August 18, polled seven per cent more votes than his Spanish rival. Roger ended the year with a 66-15 match record, highlighted by a 13th Grand Slam trophy at the US Open (d. Murray).

Nadal finished the 2008 season with a 1,370 points lead over Roger. The 22-year-old Mallorcan captured eight titles – including Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Olympic gold – and had an 82-11 match record.

Text published with kind permission of the ATP.