By Scoop Malinowski
Sander Groen accomplished a unique and distinguished professional tennis career. The former ATP doubles champion achieved a highest doubles ranking of 61 (best singles ranking was 177). He competed on ATP World Tour from 1989-2019 and partnered Roger Federer to his first ATP title at the Segovia Challenger in 1999.
Another distinction of Groen’s tennis career is how many world no. 1 he managed to score wins over. “I am surprised to count how many players I beat who were either number 1 in singles or in doubles,” Groen told me this week. “Seventeen overall, thirteen in doubles and four in singles.”
Here are the actual wins…
Jim Grabb in singles in Rosmalen 250
Richey Reneberg in doubles in Lyon
Marat Safin in Washington(with Roger Federer)
Marcelo Rios in doubles in Gstaad
Roger Federer in doubles in Basel
Eltingh/ Haarhuis in doubles when they were number 1 in Halle
Knowles/ Nestor in doubles in Tokyo
Bhupati/ Paes in doubles in Roland Garros
Galbraith/ Leach in doubles in Dubai
Nenad Zimonjic in doubles in Washington(with Roger Federer)
Joe Salisbury in doubles in Cap D’Agde Futures
Don Johnson in doubles in Roland Garros
Patrick Rafter in doubles in Hong Kong
“I beat some of them multiple times… Safin three times, Leach twice, Bhupathi/Paes twice.”
If this is not the ATP record, it may be exhausting to research but it would make an interesting statistic to determine: Which players has the most overall wins vs ATP world no. 1. Sander Groen may actually be this unique record-holder.
ATP · Joe Salisbury · Marcelo Rios · Patrick Rafer · Roger Federer · Sander Groen
