Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are the two most successful players in the history of the ATP Finals, which began in 1970.
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, reached the final of the ATP Finals 10 times during his career, winning the tournament six times.
Djokovic, a 24-time major winner, has reached the final on nine occasions, winning the year-end tournament a record seven times.
However, neither player has managed to string together nine consecutive final appearances at the ATP Finals.
Ivan Lendl, another former world number one, did just that in the 1980s.
Ivan Lendl reached nine consecutive finals of the ATP Finals
Eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl achieved a feat that may never be broken while competing in the 1980s.
The Czech star, a winner of three French Open titles, reached the final of the year-end event in nine consecutive seasons.
During this remarkable span, Lendl won the title five times.
Lendl lost his first year-ending final in 1980 to Bjorn Borg. However, he endeavoured, bouncing back to win the 1981 and 1982 titles.
Lendl lost to John McEnroe in 1983 and 1984 before winning the title three times consecutively between 1985 and 1987.
His last ATP Finals final appearance came in 1988, where he was defeated in five sets by Boris Becker, a player Lendl had beaten in the 1985 and 1986 finals.
| Year | Winner | Score |
| 1980 | Bjorn Borg | 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1981 | Ivan Lendl | 6–7, 2–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1982 | Ivan Lendl | 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1983 | John McEnroe | 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1984 | John McEnroe | 7-5, 6-0, 6-4 |
| 1985 | Ivan Lendl | 6–2, 7–6, 6–3 |
| 1986 | Ivan Lendl | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1987 | Ivan Lendl | 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1988 | Boris Becker | 5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
Will the record ever be broken?
It seems unlikely any player will usurp Lendl’s stunning record in the years to come.
One might have expected Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer to have challenged Lendl’s total. However, neither player has threatened to surpass the Czech player.
The player with the greatest chance at making history appears to be Jannik Sinner, who has proven to be almost unbeatable on indoor hard courts.
Sinner is currently on a 28-match win streak on the surface and could win his second consecutive ATP Finals title this evening when he plays Carlos Alcaraz.
