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Djokovic Finishes Year-End World No. 1 for a Record-Equaling Sixth Time

The plant-based Serb ties his idol Pete Sampras and becomes the oldest year-end No. 1 in ATP history

Plant-based tennis star Novak Djokovic will finish 2020 as world No. 1, his sixth year-end top ranking, equaling the record held by Pete Sampras. It became official on Friday, November 6, when Rafael Nadal's name was missing from the draw in Sofia.

At 33, Djokovic is also the oldest year-end No. 1 in ATP history, reports Tennis.com. His six finishes at the top came in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018 and now 2020. Sampras managed his six in a row from 1993 to 1998. He is now in his 293rd week at No. 1, and if he stays on top he will break Roger Federer's record of 310 weeks next March.

Sampras was the player Djokovic watched as a boy, and matching him means a lot:

Pete Sampras has been my idol since I was growing up

He said that "managing to match his six years of ending the season at No. 1 is just amazing," calling it something "which is one of the hardest things to do in the sport".

Djokovic has eaten a plant-based diet for years and talks about it as part of who he is. At the Australian Open in January he said: "I'm very pleased to be plant-based and play at this level." He has also spoken about "being conscious of what is happening in the animal world".

His 2020 started with an eighth Australian Open title, and in September he won in Rome for a record 36th Masters 1000 title. In 2019 he thrashed Nadal to win a record seventh Australian Open.