Safin on his rise to No. 1: 'A little bit shocking'

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Safin on his rise to No. 1: 'A little bit shocking'

The 15-time tour-level titlist reflects on epic 2000 season and more

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Marat Safin won seven titles in as many months in 2000 to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. By ATP Staff

Flashback to April 2000, when Marat Safin was competing in Barcelona as the No. 35 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and had one tour-level title to his name. At 20 years old, Safin had shown flashes of his best tennis in the early stages of his career — like beating Andre Agassi and Gustavo Kuerten in the first two rounds of Roland Garros in 1998 — but from April to November 2000, Safin went on a remarkable run that defined his career.

Safin won seven titles in as many months, starting with that week on Spanish clay. During the seven-month span, Safin was crowned champion at the US Open and also lifted two ATP Masters 1000 titles. He skyrocketed all the way to World No. 1 for the first time on 20 November, 2000.

“For my background, from where I am coming from, becoming a professional was already good enough,” Safin said. “Top 100 was already good enough. Top 10 is even incredible. But No. 1, that’s why it was a little bit shocking.”

At the time, Safin was the youngest to reach the top spot in PIF ATP Rankings history. Carlos Alcaraz and Lleyton Hewitt have since surpassed him, making Safin the third-youngest player to achieve the feat. Safin spent nine total weeks as World No. 1 across three stints, with the final one ending in April 2001.

Had Safin earned one more win at the 2000 Tennis Masters Cup — now the Nitto ATP Finals — he would have earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, but Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten won the tournament to claim the accolade. Kuerten, who defeated Pete Sampras in the semi-finals and Andre Agassi in the final, became the first South American to finish year-end No. 1.

“Everyone wants to beat you because it’s like, you’re No. 1 or No. 2 in the world, and everybody else wants to kick my a** because, ‘Who is this youngster that became No. 1 in the world? We need to put him down’,” Safin recalled with a smile.

Safin was authentic and entertaining. His game was as explosive as his temperament, combining blistering power with superb shotmaking and a raw emotional edge that made every match unpredictable.

The 6’4” righty lifted 15-tour-level titles, the last of which came at the 2005 Australian Open, his second major crown. Additionally, his sister, Dinara Safina, climbed to the top of the PIF WTA Rankings on 20 April 2009, marking the only time in history that a brother and sister have reached the summit of the sport.

Safin, who retired in November 2009, is one of 29 members in the exclusive ATP No. 1 Club. In the history of the PIF ATP Rankings, since 1973, only two players taller than 6'3' have held the No. 1 spot: Daniil Medvedev (6'6") for 16 total weeks and Safin.

“I’m proud of it, of all the things I’ve done,” Safin said, reflecting on his standout 12-year career. “You learn more from the mistakes than the winning situations, but it was a beautiful journey for sure. I think this is the most important thing.”

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