As the 2023 tennis season was coming to an end, Novak Djokovic won a record seventh title at the ATP Finals. He won this title at the age of 36 years and 6 months. He had already been the oldest player to win this title, so winning it again made this record harder to break. However, Djokovic is not the oldest player to win an ATP title. I thought it would be interesting to look at the oldest players to win an ATP title.
Roger Federer – 38 years, two months and 13 days
Roger Federer, the legendary Swiss player, is the oldest player to win an ATP title. Federer won the historic title in Basel, Switzerland, his hometown, in 2019 at the age of 38 years, two months and 13 days. Federer defeated Alex de Minaur in the final, 6-2, 6-2. Upon winning this final title of his career, Federer became the only tennis player over the age of 38 to ever win an ATP title.
Roger Federer – 37 years, 10 months and nine days
Roger also ranks second on the list of oldest trophy winners. Federer first set the record by winning the title at the Halle Open, in Germany, one of his favorite tournaments, and later broke his own record by winning the title in Basel a few months later (see above). At the Halle Open, which is traditionally held in June as part of preparations for Wimbledon, Federer defeated David Goffin in two sets, 7-6(7-2), 6-1. The Swiss player is the all-time record holder for the number of titles won in Halle, as he won the trophy 10 times.
Feliciano Lopez – 37 years, eight months and 27 days
In 2019, the same year that Federer won the last title of his career, Feliciano Lopez, the legendary Spanish player, also won he last title of his career. Lopez was 37 years, eight months and 27 days old when he won the Queen’s Club Championship in June 2019. He defeated Gilles Simon in the final in an exciting match by a score of 6-2, 6-7(4-7), 7-6 (7-2). Lopez also won the doubles title at the same tournament, and his partner in doubles was another tennis legend, Andy Murray. Lopez retired in 2023 after a successful 25 year career during which he won seven ATP titles and reached a career high ranking of #12 spot in the world.
Credit: The Associated Press
Roger Federer – 37 years, seven months and 10 days
In the same year that he became the oldest player to win an ATP title, Federer also won his last ATP Masters 1000 title. He won the Miami Open by beating John Isner in the final. The Swiss player defeated the American big server in two sets, 6-1, 6-4. Federer won this tournament when he was 37 years, seven months and ten days old.
Roger Federer – 37 years, six months and 17 days
Federer had a lot of success in 2019. He won his first tournament of the year at the end of March when he defeated a promising young player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in the final of the Dubai Championship. He defeated the Greek player 6-4, 6-4. This tournament was also Federer’s 100th ATP title. Federer, finished his career with 103 titles, which is the 2nd most number of titles to Jimmy Connors, who won 109 titles. By winning this title, Federer also became the oldest player to ever win an ATP tournament, as he was 37 years, six months and 17 days old.
Ivo Karlovic – 37 years, five months and eight days
Ivo Karlovic, the famous Croatian player who has the 2nd most number of aces of all time, with 13,728 aces (second only to John Isner who has 14,470 aces), became the oldest player to win an ATP title when he defeated Feliciano Lopez 7-6(7-2), 6-2 in the 2016 Los Cabos Open final. Karlovic was 37 years, five months and eight days old when he won this tournament and broke his own record. Until Federer won the 2019 Dubai Championship Karlovic held the record as the oldest player to win a ATP title. Karlovic, from Croatian, played his last match in 2021 at the U.S. Open. During his career, Karlovic won eight titles and reached a career high ranking of #14.
Ivo Karlovic – 37 years, four months and 11 days
A few months before winning the title at the Los Cabos Open, Karlovic made history as the first player to win an ATP title at the age of 37. He lifted the trophy at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championship in Newport, Rhode Island in July 2016. Karlovic defeated Gilles Muller 6-7(2-7), 7-6(7-5), 7-6(14-12) in a great match that included three tie breaks. He won the title at the age of 37 years, four months and 11 days.
Gael Monfils – 37 Years, one month and 15 days
Gael Monfils joined the small group of 37-year-old players to win a ATP tournament when he won the 2023 Stockholm Open. Only three other players have ever won an ATP tournament when they were at least 37 years old, including Federer, Karlovic and Lopez (see above). Monfils won the Stockholm Open when he was aged 37 years, one month and 15 days. He won the trophy by defeating the Russian player, Pavel Kotov, 4-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-3.
FUN FACT: American tennis player Pancho Gonzalez holds the record as the oldest player ever to win a single tennis tournament title. He reached this record with a title in Kingston in 1972 when he was 44 years, seven months and four days old.
