Novak Djokovic first became world No. 1 in 2011. He officially reached the top of the ATP rankings on 4 July 2011, after winning Wimbledon for the first time by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final.
That promotion capped one of the greatest seasons in modern tennis. Djokovic began 2011 by winning the Australian Open and then built a remarkable unbeaten run across the opening months of the season. He also won the Miami, Madrid, and Rome Masters events before Wimbledon, producing victories over both Nadal and Roger Federer during his rise.
The ranking achievement was more than a brief breakthrough. Djokovic finished 2011 as the year-end No. 1, having won three Grand Slam titles, five Masters 1000 tournaments, and the Davis Cup with Serbia. A common mix-up is confusing his first ascent to No. 1 with later periods when he reclaimed the ranking after losing it.