Nobody, including me, gave Andy Murray the ghost of a chance of being ranked world number one on the ATP Tour.
Novak Djokovic had a stranglehold on the honour for 223 weeks, and the head-to head with Murray at 24-9.
But straight sets victories in the Rome Masters final and the season ending Tour Championship final in London over the Serb cemented the history-making world top spot.
They were his eighth and ninth titles this year, on his way to banking $13.33 million in prize money alone – both personal records.
No Scot has ever been world number one, even though officialdom has claimed the honour for Great Britain.
Murray became the 17th end of year number one since rankings first started in 1973 with Ilie Nastase on top.
Jimmy Connors – 1974-1978.
Bjorn Borg 1979-1980.
John McEnroe 1981-1984.
Ivan Lendl – 1985-1987, and 1989.
Mat Wilander – 1988.
Stefan Edberg – 1990-1991
Jim Courier – 1992.
Pete Sampras – 1993-1998
Andre Agassi – 1999.
Gustavo Kuerten – 2000.
Lleyton Hewitt – 2001-2002.
Andy Roddick – 2003.
Roger Federer – 2004-2007 and 2009.
Rafael Nadal – 2008 and 2010 and 2013.
Novak Djokovic – 2011-2012 and 2014-2015.
Andy Murray – 2016..
Current rankings:
Andy Murray – 12685 points.
Novak Djokovic – 11780
Milos Raonoc – 5480
Stan Wawrinka – 5315
Kei Nishikori – 4905.
There’s been a definite changing of the guard.
Jason Day hasn’t picked up a golf club since he walked off after the opening round of the Tour Championship in late September.
His chronic back problem was diagnosed as career threatening, so he canned his schedule return home that included last weeks Australian Open, and this week’s World Cup and won’t return until next year.
But the just turned 29-year-old Australian has still had a stellar two years, so he will see out 2016 well clear as the world’s top golfer.
In 2015 he won five tournaments,including his first major – the PGA Championship – and this year he’s won three, with 11 top 10s.
The current world rankings:
Jason Day – 11.98 points.
Rory McIlroy – 10.46.
Dustin Johnson – 10.58.
Henrik Stenson – 8.28.
Hideki Matsuyama – 7.86.
Adam Scott – 6.75.
Patrick Reed – 5.79
Alex Noren – 5.60.
Bubba Watson – 5.58.
When Mal Meninga took over as Kangarooo coach a year ago, he promised he would instil pride and passion back in the green jersey with the famous big gold V and regain the world number one ranking, earned by the Kiwis after three successive wins over their arch rivals.
Meninga has delivered on all counts, with the Kangaroos romping in with the Four-Nations title they lost two years ago to regain the world number one ranking.
In the process, Cooper Cronk took out the Four-Nations player of the series award, with skipper Cameron Smith the perfect general, and despite relatively quiet performances from Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis.
The Wallabies can’t finish 2016 with world number one, that honour deservedly belongs to the All Blacks.
But having been ranked fifth during the year after five successive defeats, Michael Cheika’s troops can finish second in the rankings with wins over Ireland and England to complete their Grand Slam tour.
England will be by far the toughest game of the tour with Aussie Eddie Jones their inspirational coach.
Since he took over in February, England has won all 11 internationals, scoring 360 points to 194, and even more impressively scoring 40 tries to 20.
That leaves the baggy greens, languishing after five successive Test losses.
Before the 3-0 white-washing by Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, the Aussies have dropped from world number one Test nation to number three.
Starting Thursday, the third an final Test in Adelaide with South Africa leading 2-nil, will be a pink-ball, day-night Test.
Australian selectors have dumped six from the 12 who lost so abysmally in Hobart, so hopefully the new-look squad will be competitive.
Especially as the South Africans have become very arrogant of late, time for some levelling to be done.
Get back to sledging, it seems to lift Australian cricketers.
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